As NewsBusters has extensively documented, the broadcast newscasts have done everything they could to downplay and cover-up the extreme leftist violence at protests happening in cities across the country. But during ABC’s Good Morning America on Sunday, the network, via correspondent Janai Norman, attempted some revisionist history, claiming it had been “weeks” since protests had turned violent.
Norman’s lie came just as she was wrapping up her report, falsely telling viewers: “And no one seriously injured in that shooting at that protest in Colorado. But it's been weeks we have seen protests like these turn violent in multiple cities around the country, as we have this weekend.”
Not only has it not been “weeks” since protests turned violent, but it also hasn’t been “weeks” since there has been protest-linked violence in multiple cities at the same time.
While there has been violence in Portland for 59 days, last week saw riots in Seattle targeting local businesses, which the broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) blacked out and hid from viewers. And two weeks ago, ABC actually noted (though only briefly) that Black Lives Matter assaulted New York City police officers (including the chief of police) during a peaceful, interfaith march to support law enforcement.
Those acts of violence stemmed from the leftist extremists themselves, but Sunday’s GMA focused on incidents directed at the groups. The network even included attempts by police to break up unruly crowds as acts of violence.
“Now to the violent protests breaking out overnight in some cities across America, one of them turning deadly and in another, authorities firing off tear gas,” announced co-anchor Eva Pilgrim, rhetorically clutching her pearls.
Norman began her report by noting: “Overnight, chaos in streets as multiple shots ring out in Austin, Texas. One man shot and killed during a Black Lives Matter protest; an apparently peaceful march turning deadly.”
Meanwhile, ABC was one of the networks that helped to cover-up the fact that multiple people had been shot, and one killed, at the infamous Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone in Seattle last month. Only giving them significant airtime after the city shut it down. ABC also didn’t care when a Tulsa, Oklahoma officer died after being shot in the head.
As for the other alleged acts of violence against peaceful “protesters,” Norman recalled (click “expand”):
Officers later declaring the protest a riot, as around 2,000 people gathered in the downtown area. Law enforcement deploying tear gas. All of it happening just hours after a federal judge temporarily blocked a new law banning cops from using pepper spray and other crowd control tools.
(…)
And in Colorado, a protest for Elijah McClain turning violent in Aurora, a car drove into a group of protesters, one of the marchers firing off a shot. McClain, an unarmed black man died while being subdued by police last summer.
She also included attempts to quell the riots in Portland as an act of violence against protesters. Although, Norman did admit that Seattle “protesters” had set fire to a “youth detention center” there. And she instructed viewers to gawk at images of firefighters try to “tackle the flames.”
As this author noted in his Daily Caller column on Friday, this was another case of the media being complicit with their side’s radical elements.
This attempt at revisionist history was made possible by a lucrative sponsorships from Chase and Tempur-Pedic. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s Good Morning America
July 26, 2020
8:12:08 a.m. Eastern [2 minutes 17 seconds]EVA PILGRIM: Now to the violent protests breaking out overnight in some cities across America, one of them turning deadly and in another, authorities firing off tear gas. ABC's Janai Norman has more.
[Cuts to video]
JANAI NORMAN: Overnight, chaos in streets as multiple shots ring out in Austin, Texas. One man shot and killed during a Black Lives Matter protest an apparently peaceful march turning deadly.
KATRINA RATCLIFF (senior officer, Austin PD): Initial reports indicate the victim may have been carrying a rifle and approached suspect vehicle. Suspect was in the vehicle and shot at the victim. Suspect was detained and is cooperating with the officers.
NORMAN: The mother of the shooting victim speaking exclusively with ABC offering a different account. She said her son was pushing her girlfriend's wheelchair when the fatal incident happened.
(…)
NORMAN: And the violence spreading to other cities -- in Seattle, protesters setting fire to a youth detention center. Watch as firefighters rush to tackle the flames yesterday afternoon, as they raged throughout the construction site.
Officers later declaring the protest a riot, as around 2,000 people gathered in the downtown area. Law enforcement deploying tear gas. All of it happening just hours after a federal judge temporarily blocked a new law banning cops from using pepper spray and other crowd control tools.
In Portland, nearly 60 days of protests. Police once again clashing with large crowds who are demanding racial equality.
And in Colorado, a protest for Elijah McClain turning violent in Aurora, a car drove into a group of protesters, one of the marchers firing off a shot. McClain, an unarmed black man died while being subdued by police last summer.
[Cuts back to live]
And no one seriously injured in that shooting at that protest in Colorado. But it's been weeks we have seen protests like these turn violent in multiple cities around the country, as we have this weekend. All this comes as the Trump administration is vowing to send federal agents to more cities around the country. Dan?
DAN HARRIS: Janai, thank you.
