Seattle journalists attacked by agitators call out far-left media for covering up violence at protests
Two independent journalists who say they were assaulted while covering immigration protests in Seattle accused local media outlets and city leaders of turning a blind eye to violence from the radical far-left agitators.
Cameron Higby is an investigative journalist who focuses mostly on protests, especially those of the violent variant. He described his scary encounter at an anti-ICE rally in downtown Seattle in detail with Fox News Digital.
As evening fell, he said Antifa took over streets downtown and became violent. Videos posted to his social media show rioters trying to break into buildings and blocking cars from being able to proceed through the area. Higby said that Antifa stopped drivers and demanded they say, "F— ICE" and lit fires under the cars of drivers who wouldn't comply. One video clip shows rioters hurling an object at a car that tried to escape. According to him, one woman was "so terrified that she abandoned her vehicle in traffic."
Once Antifa returned to the federal building, Higby said things quieted down, so he sat down on the sidewalk. Even though he was dressed like Antifa and wearing a gas mask, he was identified by one man who told him to leave.
"Before I could stand up I was pinned up against a wall," he said.
Higby said three men approached and tried to remove his mask and helmet.
"Then I was picked up by somebody and was choked out, punched in the head twice with sap gloves, which are filled with steel or lead shot. And then he kicked me in the face. I pepper sprayed him and he ran away. They then later found a black Jeep Wrangler that they thought belonged to me. They destroyed it, and the poor guy had to drive his car home with a busted windshield," Higby recalled.
"I ended up with a concussion, nausea, dizziness, ringing in the ears, light flashes, and some headaches. I had to go to the ER and urgent care."
Higby is no stranger to violent behavior at protests he's covered in the past – sharing that one day he was bear sprayed at "point-blank." But he said this weekend's assault left him shaken like never before.
"This is definitely the worst attack I've had on me, depending on how you look at it. I've been assaulted a lot, probably more times than I could count. This is probably the most violent assault. If I wasn't wearing a helmet, I'd probably be dead or in the hospital in critical condition. I mean the staff clubs are like brass knuckles basically. The helmet's dented and he punched me so hard that if you slow the video down you can see the filter of the gas mask actually fly off just from the impact of the hit."
"This literally could've killed me," he said of the assault, which video only captured after it was already underway. "If one of my friends hadn't grabbed him and pulled him back, if that hadn't happened, he probably would have kept going."
"Thankfully, I was able to grab my car keys and my phone and all that. Otherwise, even if I managed to get away, I would have been stranded. I couldn't contact anybody, I wouldn't be able to drive my car," Higby added.
Higby claimed that his sources told him the Seattle Police Department was told not to intervene in the protest – a decision he said would have come from city officials.
"There is a detective on the case now. So it's an extremely slow crawl, and we've just had to twist the arm of the SPD," he said. "I don't have any animosity towards the rank-and-file police officers… I know SPD wants to take care of this problem, but they just can't."
The Seattle PD confirmed to Fox News Digital that Higby filed a police report. As for media coverage, Higby said the local media "hasn't covered anything about it," and The Seattle Times, along with Mayor Bruce Harrell, "said everything was peaceful, it's all good."
Brandi Kruse is another local, independent journalist who was attacked by masked protesters on Saturday at an anti-ICE protest in Tukwila, Washington, just south of Seattle.
She was out covering the anti-Trump "No Kings" protest in the city that day when her team heard that Antifa was planning to try to disrupt immigration enforcement activities outside a Department of Homeland Security facility in Tukwila.
While the "No Kings" protest had remained peaceful, things quickly escalated into violence after Kruse arrived at the DHS Antifa protest.
"At that point, there hadn't been any sort of confrontations between police and these protesters," she recalled. "I would say it took less than two minutes for the assaults to start. So we didn't even really get a chance to do any reporting on the ground there because, within moments, this group was mobbing us."
Video of the encounter that Kruse posted to YouTube shows protesters spraying her with water and trying to block her camera with black umbrellas and protest signs. Several people surrounded Kruse and her armed security member while chanting, "F— you, fascist," and "Nazi." As Kruse and her team walks away from the crowd to create some distance, they continued to follow her and harass her, she says.
"They had no interest in leaving me alone. They kept yelling at me to leave," she continued. Kruse said a woman dumped a full water bottle on her head, a few people hit her from behind with their signs and one man ran at them and sprayed insecticide in her face as her team tried to get away.
"This thing sprayed a pretty far distance and it burned immediately. And that person followed us for maybe 10, 20 feet, just continuing to spray us in the face with what we later found out was hornet killer," Kruse explained.
Things turned violent after an undercover army veteran offered assistance to Kruse and her team.
"As soon as Antifa realized that this army veteran was with us they pounced on him," she said. "There's this part of the video that shows them knocking him to the ground. There's maybe six or seven black-clad Antifa members, and they're kicking him. They're stomping him. It was absolutely brutal."
She said one person threatened the man with a gun before Kruse's security was able to pull the "innocent bystander" out. Another civilian drove up at this moment and rescued the three from the violent crowd.
"At that point, I didn't really know the driver, but I knew that it was probably better than the situation we're in. So we pile in with this guy, and we just take off as they're pelting his vehicle with who knows what," she said.
Kruse filed a police report with the Tukwila PD afterward. The police confirmed to Fox News Digital a report had been filed, and an investigation was ongoing.
Kruse is familiar with these protests, having covered them extensively in her 15-year journalism career. She previously worked at a Fox affiliate in Seattle for several years and now hosts a political commentary show called "Undivided." In her experience, it's not unusual for Antifa to attack journalists or "anyone who is exposing their criminal conduct."
She said she was previously assaulted by Antifa during the 2020 summer of protests when the group took over parts of the city. Kruse recalls this experience in the new Fox Nation streaming series, "Summer of Chaos: Inside Seattle's CHOP Zone."
"This is a very violent faction of left-wing extremists with a long history of assaulting journalists in Seattle, including myself," Kruse said.
She accused local left-wing outlets like The Seattle Times of covering for violent extremists.
On Saturday night, the paper published a report on the protest without mentioning the violence by the protesters. Their report documents Tukwila Police using tear gas against protesters and frames law enforcement as the instigators of violence.
"If you'd just read The Seattle Times article, you would think that the police unleashed on peaceful demonstrators," Kruse said. "So you have these media outlets that absolutely cover for violent left-wing extremists. And so Antifa doesn't target them in the same way, because why would they?"
The Seattle Times and Mayor Bruce Harrell's office did not return requests for comment.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
20 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Wisconsin, NIL collective sue Miami, allege tampering and NIL inducements to land football player
The University of Wisconsin and its NIL collective VC Connect filed a joint lawsuit on Friday against the University of Miami alleging it knowingly induced one of the Badgers' football players to abandon a lucrative name, image and likeness contract to play for the Florida this upcoming season. The 23-page suit, which was filed in state court in Wisconsin and obtained by The Associated Press, could have a a wider impact on future NIL deals across college athletics. The player in question in the filing is referred to only as 'Student-Athlete A.' But the case summary describes facts that line up with the situation involving cornerback Xavier Lucas, who last December announced his plans to enter the transfer portal. Shortly afterward, Darren Heitner, who has been representing Lucas, indicated that Wisconsin was refusing to put Lucas' name in the portal and that it was hindering his ability to talk with other schools. In January, Heitner announced that Lucas would be playing for Miami this fall. The situation is fallout from the rapid changes engulfing college athletics, specifically a combination of two things: Athletes went to court and won the ability to transfer with much more freedom and the 2021 NCAA decision clearing the way for them to strike NIL endorsement deals now worth millions of dollars. That has changed the recruiting landscape and forced the issue of contracts and signed commitments to the fore. 'Indeed, student-athletes' newfound NIL rights will be rendered meaningless if third parties are allowed to induce student-athletes to abandon their contractual commitments,' a portion of the lawsuit reads. Wisconsin said in January that it had credible information that Miami and Lucas made impermissible contact with each other before the former Badgers cornerback decided to transfer. Wisconsin and VC Connect allege that the inducement for Lucas to attend Miami happened within days of him entering his NIL agreement to play for the Badgers, and that they incurred substantial monetary and reputational harm. The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages and 'a declaration that Miami's conduct directed towards Student-Athlete A constituted tampering.' A message left with the University of Miami seeking comment was not immediately returned. In a text message Friday, Heitner declined to comment on the lawsuit but he said that Lucas still plans to attend Miami and play football. Wisconsin said it had the support of its leadership and the Big Ten Conference in filing the lawsuit, noting its commitment to 'ensuring integrity and fundamental fairness in the evolving landscape of college athletics.' 'While we reluctantly bring this case, we stand by our position that respecting and enforcing contractual obligations is essential to maintaining a level playing field,' the statement said. 'In addition to our legal action, we will continue to be proactive to protect the interests of our student-athletes, our program and the broader collegiate athletics community. Lucas, who is from Pompano Beach, Florida, had 12 tackles, an interception and a sack as a freshman for Wisconsin last season. Heitner said that Lucas hasn't received any money from Wisconsin and therefore owes no money to the school. Heitner also argued that Wisconsin had violated an NCAA bylaw by not entering Lucas into the transfer database within two business days of the player's request. Wisconsin issued a statement at the time saying it hadn't put Lucas' name in the portal because he had entered a two-year binding NIL agreement. In April, the surprise transfers of brothers Nico and Madden Iamaleava from Tennessee to UCLA prompted fresh questions about contracts and buyouts. Nico Iamaleava, who led Tennessee to the College Football Playoff last season, walked away from a reported $2.4 million NIL contract. Arkansas freshman quarterback Madden Iamaleava entered the portal after spring practices wrapped up. Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek released a statement indicating he would support efforts by the Razorbacks' NIL collective to enforce buyout clauses in athlete contracts. Iamaleava reportedly had a contract valued at $500,000 upon signing with Arkansas. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: and
Washington Post
23 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Prince George's ordered to pay ex-officer $1.8 million in sexual assault case
A United States District Court judge this week ordered Prince George's County to pay $1.8 million to a former county police officer in economic damages stemming from a 2017 sexual assault that she alleged was committed by her supervising officer, an incident that Kara McMurray said in a lawsuit led to retaliation against her after she reported it. McMurray, who left the department in 2021, had already been awarded nearly $400,000 in compensatory damages by a federal jury last March after it found that her former lieutenant, Richard Tallant, and the county were liable for violating her civil rights. On Tuesday, Judge Theodore Chuang ordered the county to pay another $1,862,218 in back pay and wages she would have earned through retirement, according to court documents, bringing McMurray's total award to more than $2 million. The county will also be responsible for attorney fees, said Christopher Griffiths, an attorney representing McMurray. 'It's been a long, hard road for Ms. McMurray. She lost a job she loved,' Griffiths said. 'We're gratified that she is finally getting the compensation that she deserves.' On Friday, a county spokesperson said in a statement that 'the county is aware of the verdict and our office of law is reviewing it.' Chaz Ball, an attorney representing Tallant, who was previously found guilty of a criminal sexual assault charge stemming from the incident, declined to comment. The lawsuit stems from an incident that occurred on Feb. 10, 2017, when McMurray went to the Fraternal Order of Police Prince George's County Lodge 89 after finishing a late-night shift. That night, McMurray socialized with other officers, including Tallant, in the parking lot of the lodge after it closed. When she went into the woods to 'relieve herself,' Tallant followed McMurray and sexually assaulted her, according to court documents. Two other officers who went to look for McMurray in the woods, witnessed the aftermath of the assault that included 'seeing Tallant on the ground and McMurray appearing upset and running back to her car with her pants zipper broken open,' court documents stated. Tallant got up and left in his car. McMurray went back to work shortly after the assault and encountered Tallant. He cornered her in a police hallway and asked her if she wanted him to transfer her, according to court documents. Tallant then began to joke about the situation on several occasions in front of other officers, embarrassing and intimidating McMurray with his statements, court records state. She informed a sergeant of what happened to her a few months later. The sergeant appeared upset by the information, but warned McMurray of Tallant's connections throughout the department and the possibility for retaliation. She chose not to report the assault and transferred to another police squad in fall 2017. Two years later, McMurray told another officer of her assault, and that officer reported the case to the department's internal affairs division, which launched an investigation. Details of the probe, however, were leaked within the department, and McMurray found herself receiving insults and the subject of salacious rumors involving Tallant. She was bullied via social media and her options to transfer to other units within the department were blocked by friends of Tallant while her fellow officers refused to give backup to her during service calls, court records show. McMurray went on to file a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging that she had experienced a hostile work environment based on her gender. Department leadership refused to take corrective actions to mitigate the rumors and the antagonism against McMurray from colleagues, she said in court documents. She resigned in December 2021 after working as a county police officer since June 2014. According to court documents, a jury found the county liable for violating McMurray's civil rights. The department showed a 'failure to supervise and discipline officers who retaliated against McMurray,' exhibited an indifference to a custom of 'black balling' officers who report officer misconduct and engaged in a practice of subjecting officers who did report such incident to be left without backup while responding to police calls, the jury found. The jury also found Tallant, who is no longer with the department, liable for battery and false imprisonment. He was found guilty of a second-degree sex offense in 2019 and sentenced to seven years in prison before appealing that conviction and being granted a new trial. In assessing the economic damages done to McMurray, Chuang said in his opinion that he disagreed with the county's assertion that she could have found a job at another police department. McMurray 'could not reasonably be expected to seek another position as a police officer and made substantial efforts to mitigate damages' when she sought other employment positions, the judge ruled. He granted McMurray back pay, covering the period between her departure from the department and when he issued his ruling. The damages also included the amount McMurray would have earned had she continued to work for the police department through her retirement eligibility date in October 2033. She was 29 at the time she was forced to resign, according to the court documents. 'Although McMurray remains relatively young, all of her prior education and experience is related to police work, a field from which she is now effectively blackballed,' Chuang said in his opinion. Katie Mettler contributed to this report.
Washington Post
23 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Wisconsin lawsuit accuses Miami of tampering to nab football transfer
The University of Wisconsin and its NIL collective filed a complaint in state circuit court against the University of Miami on Friday, claiming tortious interference in a dispute over former cornerback Xavier Lucas, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post. Wisconsin claims Miami tampered with its revenue-sharing agreement with Lucas, who left the school in January to enroll at Miami. The lawsuit — for unspecified damages — highlights questions over how schools can enforce tampering within revenue-sharing agreements following the House v. NCAA settlement's June 6 approval, which permitted colleges to directly pay athletes for the first time. 'After reviewing all facts and evaluating options, the university today filed a complaint in Wisconsin state court outlining our allegations against the University of Miami,' the school said in a statement to The Washington Post. 'While we reluctantly bring this case, we stand by our position that respecting and enforcing contractual obligations is essential to maintaining a level playing field.' Lucas established himself as a standout defensive back during his freshman season, playing in all 12 of the team's games and becoming a starter by year's end. The Pompano Beach, Florida, native had being earning 'substantial compensation' for his name, image and likeness from Wisconsin's collective starting last June, and by December, the school and the collective each offered him an NIL contract in a bid to retain his services, according to the 23-page lawsuit. Through his contract with the school, Lucas's compensation — 'one of the largest NIL financial commitments of any [Wisconsin] student-athlete' — would begin in July 2025, conditioned on the court's approval of the House settlement. His deal with the collective would pay him during the period before his university contract took effect. The former agreement gave Wisconsin exclusive license to Lucas's NIL rights for two years. Per that contract, the school said Lucas 'warranted that he had not previously made, and would not make, any agreement that conflicted with' the university contract and that he 'further represented that he would not make any similar commitment to enroll at or compete in athletics for another college or university.' Lucas asked Wisconsin on Dec. 17 to enter his name in the transfer portal and publicly stated his intentions to transfer two days later. His attorney told Yahoo Sports that Lucas requested the transfer after learning that his father suffered a 'serious, life-threatening illness.' Wisconsin — which had 48 hours to submit Lucas's name to the portal, per NCAA rules — did not, sparking a standoff with Lucas. On Dec. 27, he wrote in a since-deleted social media post, 'At the moment Wisconsin is refusing to release me into the transfer portal. I've met all NCAA requirements of the transfer portal process. I've yet to be put into the transfer portal by Wisconsin which is impeding my ability to speak with schools.' Other schools may not contact an athlete until their name has been added to the portal. The December transfer portal window closed Dec. 28. Lucas formally left Wisconsin on Jan. 13 and said he was academically enrolling at Miami. Days later, Wisconsin released a statement saying its 'binding' agreement with Lucas was violated, adding, 'We have credible information indicating impermissible contact between Xavier and University of Miami football program personnel prior to Xavier's request to enter the transfer portal.' Wisconsin's lawsuit claims that Miami had impermissible contacts with Lucas throughout December and January; that the school offered a more lucrative 'compensation commitment' to lure him from Wisconsin; and that Miami representatives facilitated Lucas's January enrollment after the deadline for spring transfer enrollment had passed. 'Miami knowingly induced [Lucas] to abandon his contractual commitments to Plaintiffs,' it said. 'Miami's actions are in direct contravention of not only the NCAA's established anti-tampering rules … but also established contract and tort law.' Miami did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication. Lucas's attorney, who has denied allegations of tampering, declined to comment, citing the fact that Lucas is not a defendant in the lawsuit. Wisconsin is seeking damages because it claims Miami's alleged tampering caused it to 'suffer substantial pecuniary and reputational harm,' including the 'loss of a student-athlete with valuable NIL rights' and the 'loss of financial benefits [Wisconsin] stood to receive from [Lucas's] continued participation in its football program.' The collective is claiming a loss of financial and promotional benefits that it anticipated receiving. Lucas recorded 18 tackles, one sack, one interception and two pass breakups last season. Miami enters the fall having added Lucas and three other cornerbacks from the portal to its transfer class, which 247 Sports ranked third nationally.
