Video Shows AP Photographer Attacked By Capitol Hill Rioters Accusing Him Of Being Antifa
Americans watched in horror as Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building on Jan. 6. As the dust settles, we are seeing more of the chaos including the attack on journalists who were there doing their jobs when the mob turned violent.
Associated Press photographer John Minchillo was attacked by Trump supporters on Jan. 6.
Video taken by his colleague Julio Cortez shows Minchillo being violently pushed and pulled around by the angry mob. The video is a jarring reminder of the physical manifestation of the attack on the free press. President Trump has routinely singled out the media at his rallies and has celebrated violence against the press.
You can hear Cortez pleading with the crowd to stop attacking Minchillo.
You can hear people in the crowd shouting, “Get the f-ck out of here.” The people in the crowd grab at Minchillo and he is quickly surrounded by 5 to 6 people who are shoving and pulling him to get him out of the crowd using violence.
“Thankfully, he wasn’t injured,” Cortez worte in his Instagram post. “He was labeled as an anti protesters (sic), even though he kept flashing his press credentials, and one person can be heard threatening to kill him. This is an unedited, real life situation of a member of the press keeping his cool even though he was being attacked. A true professional and a great teammate, I’m glad we were able to get away.”
Journalists are highlighting the video to show what it can be like to cover Trump events as press.
President Trump has a long history of attacking and belittling journalist while president. He has also launched attacks on the credibility of the press by calling major media outlets fake news. His supporters echo many of these claims when they are confronted by media or turn on the media at his events.
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists is calling for a full investigation into the attack.
Fellow journalists are calling for authorities to investigate what happened in that moment. The Capitol police were there when Minchillo was attacked yet nothing was done to protect the AP photographer as the crowd grew violent.
People are sharing screengrabs to start identifying the instigators.
The internet has made it hard to hide when you do something wrong. Not to mention that wearing a mask to follow Covid health guidelines would have covered their faces. There are rumors that the same people who mounted their failed coup on Jan. 6 are planning another attack on the Capitol on Jan. 19.
