A black Michigan reported captured his own arrest as cops in riot gear descended on the rallies between the anti-racism protesters and the far-right Proud Boys in Kalamazoo, as reported by the New York Post.
Samuel Robinson, who is a reporter for MLive had mentioned about the lack of police presence during the violence on Saturday when suddenly a huge group of cops emerged in black protective clothing. As he was capturing live for the local news website, he walked with the officers and telling them that he was media as other people called the officers 'literal Nazis'.
"Jesus — I'm being arrested!" the reporter can be heard saying while he repeatedly mentioned that he is form media. Samuel was charged with impeding traffic and released from custody a few hours later on a $100 bond, his news site mentioned. "The working press must be assured the right to cover public events that clearly are in the public interest, without reprisals," John Hiner, the vice president of content MLive said.
Black Journalist Arrested in Rally
"These situations are difficult for all involved, but media who identify themselves are not a part of the event — they are working it, just like the police," he mentioned. The rallies turned violent when around 50 Proud Boys got confronted by about 150-200 counter-protesters, as stated by MLive.
Very obvious the Proud Boys were going after Black people in the crowd; it was clear from the get-go," Rev. Nathan Dennison, who is a pastor said. The Deputy City Manager Jeff Chamberlain of Kalamazoo mentioned that the heavy police presence came as multiple groups were seen with various weapons that included firearms.
"Numerous physical fights broke out among the groups," Chamberlain mentioned in a statement. "Once the event turned violent, the officers responded quickly and restored order. To restore order to the area, the officers declared a police zone and dispersed the crowds. This is still an unpredictable situation and we encourage the community to remain safe."
