Blaze reporter and political commentator Elijah Schaffer was assaulted by Black Lives Matter rioters dressed up as press in Rochester on Saturday evening.
Activists dressing up as “press” to avoid arrest has been a common tactic by both Black Lives Matter and Antifa for a long time, including during Occupy and Ferguson.
By dressing up as reporters, the activists can help to dox people who oppose the riots ideologically and spin a narrative of police “going after press” if they are arrested.
Fake press is harassing me here. Assaulting me with their camera
Putting me in chat rooms trying to get me jumped
This is disgusting behavior
Telling me they will beat me up while I do my job pic.twitter.com/PEbBmhdT5q
— ELIJAH RIOT (@ElijahSchaffer) September 13, 2020
“Fake press is harassing me here. Assaulting me with their camera,” Schaffer tweeted with a video of the incident. He noted that they are putting his name and face in chat rooms “trying to get me jumped.”
The reporter added that the fake reporters were also threatening to beat up him up for doing his job.
In a subsequent tweet, Schaffer wrote that the fake press had intentionally started a rumor that he is a white supremacist in an effort to get him killed.
NY: Fake press intentionally started a rumor I was a white supremacist to try to get me killed
(see previous video)
They turned the crowd on me & started surrounding me
At the same time, police saw the escalation & moved in
Fake press are terrorists & put us all in danger pic.twitter.com/T5298rL5m1
— ELIJAH RIOT (@ElijahSchaffer) September 13, 2020
Recently, Portland Black Lives Matter and Antifa released a document of “approved press” who have been helping to spread their narrative and cover up crimes committed by rioters.
I’m really growing weary of this violent “fake Antifa/BLM press”
They work in conjunction to abuse and endanger real reporters doing their job
They use fascist tactics and “dress up” as press to avoid police scrutiny
Then they attack you and police don’t know what to do https://t.co/jB1WJU175G
— ELIJAH RIOT (@ElijahSchaffer) September 13, 2020
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