Fox News Reporter Chased While Covering Protests At TWH

The protests over George Floyd's death hit the nation's capital Friday night as angry protesters arrived at Pennsylvania Avenue, leading to a short lockdown at the White House, spokesman Judd Deere confirmed to USA TODAY.

NY Post 5/30/2020

Floyd, a black man, died in Minneapolis police custody this week after a white officer pinned him to the ground under his knee. His death has sparked demonstrations against police brutality and racial discrimination in cities across the United States.

On Friday, President Trump spoke with Floyd's family, saying he understood their pain. That call came several hours after his tweet about about rioters in Minneapolis sparked outrage, and drew a warning label from Twitter.

Fired officer Derek Chauvin was arrested Friday and charged with murder in Floyd's death. The Hennepin County Attorney's complaint said Chauvin had his knee on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, including for 2 minutes and 53 seconds after Floyd was non-responsive.

People have managed to toss over the temporary barricades, they’re being pushed back by the Secret Service. More police arriving. Heating up fast outside the White House’s north lawn. pic.twitter.com/jaXKmjV0R9

— Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) May 29, 2020

Outside the White House on Friday, Secret Service could be seen after 7 p.m. taking at least one person into custody. Videos showed a large group of protesters gathering, with some burning flags and knocking over barricades. The protesters have moved from the White House to another part of the city.

Multiple reporters posted that they were inside the White House and that the Secret Service was not letting them leave the grounds during the lockdown.

The Secret Service frequently locks down the White House for perceived security threats, such as packages or bags left nearby. But the building is rarely locked down for protests. And while protests are a daily occurrence outside the White House, they are often small – drawing a few dozen people, at most.

Some of the protesters ran off a Fox News journalist who had been covering clashes between the Secret Service and more than 100 people early Saturday morning.

The chase happened as Fox News reporter Leland Vittert was providing updates about the situation outside the White House where Secret Service members in riot gear squared off with an angry crowd who hurled bricks, water, and verbal abuse for hours.



As Fox News went live to Vittert, the reporter said "media critics" were surrounding him before several protesters got into his face and began chanting "F--- Fox News" as he and his crew scrambled to leave the area.

Video shared on Twitter showed a massive group of people chasing Vittert and his crew into the darkness of Lafayette Park across from the front of the White House.