Anti-Vaxxer Videotaped Attacking Journalist At Los Angeles Protest Is Linked To Capitol Riot
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Anti-Vaxxer Videotaped Attacking Journalist At Los Angeles Protest Is Linked To Capitol Riot
A man several witnesses identified as Tony Moon was filmed Saturday at an anti-vaccine, anti-mask protest outside Los Angeles City Hall that was attended by a number of known members of the violent Proud Boys group.
One man was stabbed and two reporters were attacked as violent clashes erupted after the rally led by coronavirus conspiracy promoters. No one was arrested. Critics complained that Los Angeles police officers did little to quell the violence, even though the violence occurred less than a block from LAPD headquarters.
Moon was photographed and videotaped attacking journalist Tina-Desiree Berg. He slung what appeared to be a thermos or water bottle on a strap at Berg “like a weapon,” the journalist told HuffPost. He also ripped off her mask as he attacked her, Berg recounted.
“I thought, ’Whoa, this is way out of line.′ I was thinking how I could protect myself and my equipment,” Berg said. She didn’t report the attack to the police because “they were standing right there and did absolutely nothing.”
A number of anti-vaxxers deliberately targeted journalists on Saturday. Frank Stoltze, a reporter for National Public Radio station KPCC, was accosted in the middle of an interview, then roughed up, his glasses ripped from his face and kicked. Stoltze said he had never experienced a similar situation in his 30 years working as a journalist. He filed a police complaint.
Moon was videotaped in other disturbing scenes Saturday, including one in which he screamed repeatedly: “Unmask them all!”
It’s hardly Moon’s first right-wing clash. In January, he posted a video of himself at the nation’s Capitol during the insurrection. “So I’m on the steps. We’re taking the Capitol,” he said in a message and video from an archived Parler post. “Look at all the patriots!”
In L.A. on Saturday, Moon wore an orange arm band, akin to those worn by some of the most violent people at the rally. Others wore T-shirts reading “Fuck China” or “Fuck socialism,” and some had Nazi SS lightning symbols on their clothing.
Moon praised the violence of the rally on his “Roof Korean” Twitter account. The name refers to armed Korean Americans who took up posts on rooftops in Los Angeles’s Korean neighborhoods during the 1992 uprising sparked by the acquittal of four police officers who had been videotaped savagely beating Black motorist Rodney King .
Moon did not respond to requests for comment from HuffPost.
Berg said the violence at rallies and protests including Proud Boys has dangerously ramped up in the last few months and now includes stabbings with “shanks” or small knives that can be hidden within a hand.
“We’re having vicious prison-level brawls in our streets,” Berg said. “It’s insane.”
Berg said she and other journalists are discussing carrying some kind of protection at right-wing events. A fellow journalist at the Saturday rally told Berg that she now carries a Taser for protection.
“One of these days someone is going to get killed,” she told HuffPost. “These guys aren’t going away just because Donald Trump lost the election.”
The American Civil Liberties Union early this month wrote a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland calling for boosted protection for journalists and other observers to safeguard free speech in the U.S. in the face of increasing violence targeting reporters, including from law enforcement.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
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I believe one of our members posted that the violence at this rally was carried out by anti-fa. That is a lie. Any violence was carried out by these far right wing trumpturd supporters.
A man several witnesses identified as Tony Moon was filmed Saturday at an anti-vaccine, anti-mask protest outside Los Angeles City Hall that was attended by a number of known members of the violent Proud Boys group.
One man was stabbed and two reporters were attacked as violent clashes erupted after the rally led by coronavirus conspiracy promoters. No one was arrested. Critics complained that Los Angeles police officers did little to quell the violence, even though the violence occurred less than a block from LAPD headquarters.
Moon was photographed and videotaped attacking journalist Tina-Desiree Berg. He slung what appeared to be a thermos or water bottle on a strap at Berg “like a weapon,” the journalist told HuffPost. He also ripped off her mask as he attacked her, Berg recounted.
“I thought, ’Whoa, this is way out of line.′ I was thinking how I could protect myself and my equipment,” Berg said. She didn’t report the attack to the police because “they were standing right there and did absolutely nothing.”
The police appear to be allowing these proud boy scum to attack reporters/journalists at will.
Berg said the violence at rallies and protests including Proud Boys has dangerously ramped up in the last few months and now includes stabbings with “shanks” or small knives that can be hidden within a hand.
“We’re having vicious prison-level brawls in our streets,” Berg said. “It’s insane.”
Berg said she and other journalists are discussing carrying some kind of protection at right-wing events. A fellow journalist at the Saturday rally told Berg that she now carries a Taser for protection.
“One of these days someone is going to get killed,” she told HuffPost. “These guys aren’t going away just because Donald Trump lost the election.”
The American Civil Liberties Union early this month wrote a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland calling for boosted protection for journalists and other observers to safeguard free speech in the U.S. in the face of increasing violence targeting reporters, including from law enforcement.
I think one of our fellow posters - posted something about this the other day - about how it was anti-fa attacking the anti-vaxxer ignorant morons. That's a lie. I notice that 'article' is no longer up. Gee, I wonder why?