NBC News reporter Brandy Zadrozny reported late Wednesday night that following her report for NBC News with Ben Collins, Facebook had taken down the page of the group that called for Trump supporters to show up at the Detroit, Michigan vote counting center earlier Wednesday.
Trump supporters peacefully demonstrating at Detroit vote counting center, screen image via Salwan Georges/Twitter
The Detroit vote counting center was the scene of alleged irregularities and intimidation by Democrats running the count. Republican poll watchers were routinely thrown out and windows covered up to block observers. No violence was reported to have occurred among the boisterous Trump supporters gathered outside.
Zadrozny’s reporting was recently critiqued on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News Channel show for doxxing Trump supporters.
Zadrozny posted a statement by Facebook that read, “We removed the Page and the group sharing the post based on the potential risk for offline harm and will stay in contact with local authorities who are supporting the situation in Detroit.”
“Update: Facebook removed the group and a connected page that organized chaos at the Detroit vote counting room, citing potential risk for offline harm.”
https://twitter.com/BrandyZadrozny/status/1324198753587310595
Excerpt from earlier NBC report by Zadrozny and Collins:
Hours before pro-Trump protesters banged on windows outside Detroit’s TCF Center, urging officials to “stop the count,” a Facebook group previously devoted to protesting Covid-19 restrictions told users to “be a presence” at the ballot counting facility.
Stand Up Michigan to Unlock Michigan, a Lansing-based private Facebook group of 79,000 members “who are passionate about advancing freedom,” organized an event with calls to action that garnered nearly 2,000 interactions, such as likes and comments, according to the group’s private Facebook page viewed by NBC News.
…While it’s unclear if the event drove people to the convention center, the situation highlights how groups of right-leaning citizens who had previously organized around the coronavirus pandemic are being tapped to protest the election.
Posts urged users who were outside the ballot facility to “just be a presence” and “pray, take photos, take videos.” Inside the facility, according to NBC News correspondent Steve Patterson, election workers were “quietly, diligently counting” ballots.
Videos from Wednesday show a peaceful, boisterous crowd and Democrat shenanigans:
Election challengers shout “Stop the count” as poll workers count absentee ballots in #Detroit, Michigan in the 2020 general election @washingtonpost #Election2020 pic.twitter.com/nzWfSSX34P
— Salwan Georges (@salwangeorges) November 4, 2020
#BREAKING: Large, animated crush of “stop the count” protestors trying to push their way into TCF hall in #Detroit where ballots are being counted.
They’re being blocked by guards at the door.
Pizza boxes are pushed against the window to obstruct view. It’s tense. @NBCNews pic.twitter.com/zFhzd88skX
— Steve Patterson (@PattersonNBC) November 4, 2020
As can be seen at the end of this video, the rowdiest it got was when a few women briefly slapped the windows on the doors barely loud enough to be heard.
WATCH: Trump supporters got into Detroit’s TCF Center through a back entrance and streamed into the building. Protesters tell @gablova that they believe something wrong is happening and the ballot counting must be stopped #Election2020 https://t.co/xDtoh1Fb7T pic.twitter.com/NfgeiCLhfd
— Bloomberg Quicktake (@Quicktake) November 5, 2020
The scene at Detroit’s absentee ballot counting center is growing more heated. The windows now being covered up. Allegations of violations. Sec. of State says she welcomes challenges. pic.twitter.com/oUL4A0h3Ku
— Matt Finn (@MattFinnFNC) November 4, 2020
“An attorney for the city of Detroit, Lawrence Garcia, tells me he ordered some of the windows be covered because some of the workers nearest the windows felt concerned with people outside potentially filming them or ballots. Not all the windows were blocked.”
An attorney for the city of Detroit, Lawrence Garcia, tells me he ordered some of the windows be covered because some of the workers nearest the windows felt concerned with people outside potentially filming them or ballots. Not all the windows were blocked.
— Matt Finn (@MattFinnFNC) November 4, 2020
Video by Trisha Nesbitt, wife of Michigan Senate President Pro Tempore Aric Nesbitt:
My wife just sent this video of Detroit election workers cheering every time a @migop attorney is removed from the TCF Center, where absentee ballot counting is happening. She says they do this every time they eject a GOP poll watcher & that Dem watchers outnumber GOP 3:1. pic.twitter.com/Sx1aHCoChY
— Aric Nesbitt (@aricnesbitt) November 4, 2020
Worker came up to my wife and made her delete any recordings of what’s happening in that room from her phone. pic.twitter.com/r24iyt9pxL
— Aric Nesbitt (@aricnesbitt) November 4, 2020
Trisha also reported Democrats were searching for and throwing out Republican observers, and threatening to toss out others who challenged ballots, “Detroit election workers threaten to remove GOP volunteers if we raise any challenges to ballots…GOP poll challengers are outnumbered by dems at least 3 to 1 at Cobo. Election workers walking around searching for GOP volunteers to remove. Workers cheer when GOP folks removed.”
Detroit election workers threaten to remove GOP volunteers if we raise any challenges to ballots. #Michigan2020 #Election2020
— Trisha Nesbitt (@Trisha_Nesbitt) November 4, 2020
GOP poll challengers are outnumbered by dems at least 3 to 1 at Cobo. Election workers walking around searching for GOP volunteers to remove. Workers cheer when GOP folks removed. #Michigan2020 #Election2020 @GOPChairwoman @bennyjohnson @kayleighmcenany @DonaldJTrumpJr pic.twitter.com/Nr3o5XYLgy
— Trisha Nesbitt (@Trisha_Nesbitt) November 4, 2020