Footage taken on Wednesday evening showed pro-Trump rioters destroying journalism equipment as they were pushed away from the Capitol by police.
Pro-Trump rioters who breached the Capitol on Wednesday began harassing reporters who were on the scene covering the unprecedented incident. Trump has long referred to media as “enemy of the people,” with his supporters frequently echoing this characterization.
D.C.-based WRC-TV reporter Shomari Stone tweeted a video of the attack, writing, “I’ve never seen anything like this in my 20 year career.”
USA Today Congressional reporter Christal Hayes shared a video of rioters destroying more equipment, noting that it belonged to The Associated Press, not CNN as the rioters seemed to believe.
Trump released a video statement on Wednesday calling for the rioters to stop, as well as repeating disputed claims that the election had been “stolen.” Multiple social media giants such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube took down this video out of concern that it could incite further violence.
“We removed it because on balance we believe it contributes to rather than diminishes the risk of ongoing violence,” said Facebook’s vice president of integrity Guy Rosen.