Journalists Assaulted During Seattle Immigration Protests

Two independent journalists have recounted their assaults while covering immigration protests in Seattle, expressing concerns that city officials and local media are overlooking the violence from radical left groups.

Cameron Higby, an investigative journalist focusing on protests, shared a harrowing experience from an anti-ICE rally downtown. He reported that as night fell, Antifa took control of the streets, leading to violent confrontations. A social media video he shared showed rioters attempting to break into a building and obstructing vehicles in the area.

Higby stated that Antifa stopped a driver, demanding he say “F-ICE,” and threatened to set his car on fire when he refused. He captured footage of rioters attacking a car trying to escape. One passerby described the scene as “very scary,” and even abandoned her vehicle amidst the chaos.

Eventually, Higby sat on the sidewalk as things seemed to calm down. Although he was dressed similar to Antifa members and wearing a gas mask, one individual recognized him and ordered him to leave.

“Before I could even get up, I was pinned against the wall,” he recounted. Three men approached him, attempting to remove his mask and helmet. He then described being choked and repeatedly punched with a gloved fist filled with hard objects. After he managed to spray one attacker, they fled, but later, they found his Black Jeep Wrangler.

Higby dealt with concussion symptoms, nausea, and severe headaches, ultimately seeking emergency medical care. He noted that despite having experience with violent protests, this incident shook him more than previous events.

He tweeted about waking up with a bloody nose, unsure if it was related to the attack, and mentioned that the scene was disturbing, as blood was on his sheets.

“This was the worst attack I’ve experienced,” Higby reflected. “It could have been fatal if I hadn’t been wearing a helmet,” he emphasized, expressing gratitude that someone intervened during the assault.

He claimed that he was told Seattle police were instructed not to intervene during the protests. Although a detective is now investigating the incident, Higby noted the slow response from law enforcement. He expressed disappointment with local media coverage, pointing out that outlets like the Seattle Times downplayed the violence, making it seem as if everything was “peaceful.”

Brandi Kruze, another independent journalist, also faced aggression from masked protesters during a similar event in Tukwila, south of Seattle. Although the “No Kings” protest initially remained peaceful, it quickly devolved into violence after she arrived to document the situation.

She recalled that shortly after her arrival, an altercation began, with protesters attempting to hinder her reporting efforts. In a YouTube post documenting the day, she described how individuals surrounded her, chanting hostile remarks and assaulting her with signs. One woman even dumped water on her, and another person sprayed insecticide at her face as her team attempted to retreat.

Kruze indicated that tensions erupted further when a veteran supporting her was attacked by multiple Antifa members. “They knocked him to the ground and started kicking him,” she reported, calling the violence “absolutely cruel.” A civilian intervened at a critical moment, helping to extract them from the hostile environment.

Following the incident, Kruze filed a police report with Tukwila authorities, who confirmed that they are investigating. A seasoned journalist, she has encountered hostility from Antifa before and noted that such attacks on journalists exposing misconduct are not uncommon.

Reflecting on her experiences, she criticized local left-leaning media, like the Seattle Times, for inadequately reporting the violence perpetrated by protesters. She highlighted a recent article that framed law enforcement as the aggressors while neglecting to mention the attacks on journalists.

“If someone reads that report, they’d think the police were the ones instigating violence instead of acknowledging the actions of Antifa,” she concluded.