Yesterday afternoon, an Australian 7News crew got a first-hand encounter with what Donald Trump’s “domination” looks like. As tensions began to escalate in Washington D.C, Amelia Brace and cameraman Tim Myers of 7News were on the ground to recount their experience covering the protest. “We’ve been fired at with rubber bullets, my cameraman has been hit,” explains Brace, as footage reveals riot police positioning to move in. Before long, the crowd is retreating, and the video footage reveals a police offer throwing a punch directly at the cameraman.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
The in-studio news anchors watched the assault occur in a state of shock, confused as to what they had witnessed. As they attempted to reconnect with Brace and Myers, one of the anchors remarks that police are no longer distinguishing between protestors and the media. Eventually, Brace is able to reconnect, and she provides an update on what transpired.
“You heard us yelling that we are media, but they don’t care,” she says. “They are being indiscriminate at the moment. They chased us down that street, they were firing these rubber bullets at everyone. There is tear gas now. We are really surrounded by the police, and you saw the way they dealt with my cameraman Tim there — quite violent.”
“This curfew is supposed to come into effect in twenty-six minutes,” she continues. “So the tactic of the forces is that they are basically moving in this big circle so all the people get stuck in the middle. So when the curfew comes into effect, everyone here except us because we are media, will be effectively breaking the law. They can be arrested, they can be cleared out. The goal of police is that we don’t see the violence and destruction we saw last night.”
Check out the footage for yourself below, as well as a second angle that provides a clearer look at the violent attack.
