
Reporter denies there are riots in LA while chaos unfolds behind him
A local TV reporter in Los Angeles questioned whether the city's violent unrest qualified as rioting - even as a fire burned behind him live on the air. ABC7 reporter Tim Caputo insisted that the 'vast majority' of protestors involved in the demonstrations were 'people taking videos [and] people waving flags' during his one-the-ground report. He made the remarks as black smoke billowed into the air behind him and a loud explosion could be heard in the distance.
During the segment, ABC7 anchor Jory Rand asked whether those responsible for torching five vehicles were 'a group that splintered off,' 'making it look like it's a lot worse than the situation actually playing out on the ground.' 'That's the quintessential question when you have rallies, demonstrations, riots, if you will,' Caputo replied.
'I wouldn't go as far to call it that. I know president Trump had tweeted about riots and looting - I don't know that I would characterize it that way.' As the broadcast showed aerial images of cars on fire, Caputo directed his cameraman away from rising smoke.
The clip was quickly re-shared on social media , earning swift criticism from viewers. 'If you take out the really violent stuff it's relatively peaceful,' one X user joked. 'He thinks we have no eyes to see,' another chimed.
'Is this AI,' a third quipped. The chaos was triggered Friday by immigration raids that resulted in dozens of arrests of what authorities say are illegal migrants and gang members. Police ordered the public to disperse from downtown overnight after an intense day of demonstrations in the region. Around 300 National Guard troops were deployed to the region, spurring anger and fear among many residents.
By noon local time on Sunday, hundreds had gathered outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, where Caputo was reporting. Protesters there approached members of the federal agency and were fired upon with control munitions.
The group then moved to block traffic on the 101 freeway. The 300 guards called to the crisis have were seen using tear gas, rubber bullets, and flash bangs to control the crowds. President Trump has said the National Guard was necessary because Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democrats have failed to quell recent protests targeting immigration agents.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Independent
18 minutes ago
- The Independent
Protests increasing across the country as anger grows over Trump's immigration crackdown
Protests over Trump 's immigration raids that began in Los Angeles continued to spread to other major cities across the county on Tuesday, with activists planning even more demonstrations in the coming days. From Los Angeles to Seattle, Chicago and New York, many of the protests have been peaceful, but some have resulted in clashes with the police and arrests, the Associated Press reported. In New York City, thousands filled Foley Square in Lower Manhattan to protest the government's actions. Many held signs reading 'ICE out of New York,' while others chanted, 'Why are you in riot gear? I don't see no riot here.' Police said multiple people were taken into custody. In Chicago, a crowd marched through downtown streets drumming and chanting, 'No more deportations!' and 'Trump must go now.' A car was driven through the street filled with protesters, causing them to scatter, but it was not immediately known whether anyone had been injured. By late Tuesday, the demonstration had grown to at least a thousand protesters, according to reports. The protests continued to grow in response to Trump's immigration crackdown from Friday that has been met with resistance from Los Angeles residents. California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a Tuesday night address that more than 220 people have been arrested so far amid the protests against ICE raids in Los Angeles. 'If you incite violence or destroy our communities, you're going to be held to account. That kind of criminal behavior will not be tolerated. Full stop,' Newsom said. The governor said that officials are reviewing footage to build more cases, 'and people will be prosecuted.' He criticized Trump for his decision to deploy thousands of National Guard troops to Los Angeles without his permission in response to the protests. Newsom claimed the move was illegal and a 'brazen abuse of power.'


The Independent
23 minutes ago
- The Independent
Pulse massacre survivors are set to revisit the nightclub before it's razed
Survivors and family members of the 49 victims killed in the Pulse nightclub massacre nine years ago are getting their first chance Wednesday to walk through the long-shuttered, LGBTQ+-friendly Florida venue before it's razed and replaced with a permanent memorial to what was once the worst U.S. mass shooting in modern times. In small groups over four days, survivors and family members of those killed planned to spend a half hour inside the space where Omar Mateen opened fire during a Latin night celebration on June 12, 2016, leaving 49 dead and 53 wounded. Mateen, who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, was killed after a three-hour standoff with police. At the time, it was the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history. The Pulse shooting's death toll was surpassed the following year when 58 people were killed and more than 850 injured among a crowd of 22,000 at a country music festival in Las Vegas. The city of Orlando purchased the Pulse property in 2023 for $2 million and plans to build a $12 million permanent memorial which will open in 2027. Those efforts follow a multiyear, botched attempt by a private foundation run by the club's former owner. The existing structure will be razed later this year. 'None of us thought that it would take nine years to get to this point and we can't go back and relitigate all of the failures along the way that have happened, but what we can do is control how we move forward together," Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said two weeks ago when county commissioners pledged $5 million to support the city of Orlando's plan. Visits coincide with the shooting's ninth anniversary The opportunity to go inside the nightclub comes on the ninth anniversary of the mass shooting. Outside, over-sized photos of the victims, rainbow-colored flags and flowers have hung on fences in a makeshift memorial, and the site has attracted visitors from around the globe. But very few people other than investigators have been inside the structure. Around 250 survivors and family members of those killed have responded to the city's invitation to walk through the nightclub this week. Families of the 49 people who were killed can visit the site with up to six people in their group, and survivors can bring one person with them. The people invited to visit are being given the chance to ask FBI agents who investigated the massacre about what happened. They won't be allowed to take photos or video inside. Brandon Wolf, who hid in a bathroom as the gunman opened fire, said he wasn't going to visit, primarily because he now lives in Washington. He said he wanted to remember Pulse as it was before. 'I will say that the site of the tragedy is where I feel closest to the people who were stolen from me,' said Wolf, who now is national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, a LGBTQ+ advocacy group. 'For survivors, the last time they were in that space was the worst night possible. It will be really hard to be in that space again.' Mental health counselors planned to be on hand to talk to those who walk through the building. Original memorial plans for Pulse fell short Survivors and family members had hoped to have a permanent memorial in place by now. But an earlier effort by a private foundation to build one floundered, and the organization disbanded in 2023. Barbara and Rosario Poma and businessman Michael Panaggio previously owned the property, and Barbara Poma was the executive director of the onePulse Foundation — the nonprofit that had been leading efforts to build a memorial and museum. She stepped down as executive director in 2022 and then left the organization entirely in 2023 amid criticism that she wanted to sell instead of donate the property. There were also complaints about the lack of progress despite millions of dollars being raised. The original project, unveiled in 2019 by the onePulse Foundation, called for a museum and permanent memorial costing $45 million. That estimate eventually soared to $100 million. The city of Orlando has since outlined a more modest proposal and scrapped plans for a museum. 'The building may come down, and we may finally get, a permanent memorial, but that doesn't change the fact that this community has been scarred for life,' Wolf said. 'There are people inside the community who still need and will continue to need support and resources.' ___


The Independent
23 minutes ago
- The Independent
Weinstein jury deliberations scrutinize one accuser's account
Jurors in Harvey Weinstein 'ssex crimes retrial are drilling down on one of the three charges against him: a rape accusation from a woman who also said she had a consensual relationship with him. The seven female and five male jurors are poised to start their fifth day of deliberations Wednesday by re-hearing Jessica Mann's testimony that he raped her in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013. Mann's accusation was an apparent focus of Tuesday's deliberations, and the jury ended the day by asking to be re-read her testimony about what happened between her and Weinstein at the hotel. The group also indicated it wants to continue privately reviewing her emails with Weinstein and some 2017 medical records concerning her reaction to news accounts of other women's allegations against him. The former Hollywood powerbroker, 73, has pleaded not guilty to raping Mann and to forcing oral sex on two other women, Mimi Haley and Kaja Sokola. The Oscar-winning producer maintains that he never sexually assaulted or raped anyone, and his lawyers portrayed his accusers as opportunists who accepted his advances because they wanted a leg up in the entertainment world. While all three women stayed in contact with Weinstein despite what they say were assaults, Mann had a particularly complex history with him. During days on the witness stand, she testified that they had a consensual relationship that exploded into rape, yet continued afterward. Weinstein was one of the movie industry's most powerful figures until a series of sexual misconduct allegations against him became public in 2017, fueling the #MeToo movement and eventually leading to criminal charges. He originally was convicted in 2020 of raping Mann and forcing oral sex on Haley. Sokola's allegation was added last year, after New York state's highest court overturned the 2020 conviction and sent the case back for retrial. Meanwhile, Weinstein is appealing a 2022 rape conviction in Los Angeles. After a couple of days of apparent interpersonal friction, the retrial jury worked through Tuesday with no further complaints. The Associated Press generally does not identify people without their permission if they say they have been sexually assaulted. Sokola, Mann and Haley have agreed to be named.