On Thursday, CBS This Morning denounced the NYPD for “using batons and chasing people down” in Brooklyn while dispersing protesters and enforcing New York City’s 8:00 p.m. curfew Wednesday night. However, the report never mentioned that two police officers were shot and one was stabbed while defending stores from looters nearby.
“Moving now to new questions this morning over law enforcement’s response to the protests....Demonstrations were almost exclusively peaceful yesterday at events held all across the country, including in Brooklyn, New York,” co-host Tony Dokoupil proclaimed at the top of the segment. He then decried: “But when that march in Brooklyn went past an 8:00 p.m. curfew, officers charged the crowd using batons and chasing people down who were trying to avoid arrest.”
The headline on screen framed the story this way: “Curfew Crackdown; NYPD Confronts Peaceful Protesters as Other Cities Ease, Lift Curfew.”
Correspondent Jericka Duncan further described the scene as thoroughly peaceful protesters versus violent police:
New York protesters continued peaceful demonstrations Wednesday. But after an 8:00 p.m. curfew went into effect, NYPD officers cracked down on demonstrators in Brooklyn. Witnesses say there were no calls for the crowd to disperse, and in a chaotic scene, police used their batons to physically move a large crowd of protesters. Some fell to the ground, and others were restrained.
Amazingly, she completely ignored the fact that officers had been shot and stabbed in the vicinity while trying to prevent looting.
On NBC’s Today show, co-host Craig Melvin at least mentioned the attacks on police: “Nearby, an NYPD officer protecting stores from potential looters stabbed by a man using this knife, police say. Two other officers were shot. Police say 22 shots were fired at the scene.” However, he still emphasized “mostly peaceful demonstrations” across the country.
Repeating the report in the 8:00 a.m. ET hour, correspondent Gabe Gutierrez noted the shootings and stabbing of the officers, then concluded: “But only pockets of unrest amid seas and seas and seas of peaceful marches.”
Both segments featured this contradictory headline on screen: “NYPD Officers Shot and Stabbed Overnight; Incident Comes on Mostly Peaceful Ninth Night of Protests.”
On ABC’s Good Morning America, correspondent Eva Pilgrim touted “predominantly peaceful protests across the nation” and noted only “small pockets of chaos plaguing day nine of protest.” She specifically cited “Police engaging with peaceful protesters in Brooklyn,” but never reported on officers being shot and stabbed.
Later in the segment, she reiterated: “Across the country, thousands marching peacefully saying there is still work to do.” Pilgrim went on to tout “major reforms” in Los Angeles: “And the mayor of L.A. announcing some major reforms, including cutting the LAPD’s budget by up to $150 million.”
While repeatedly lauding the “peaceful” protests on Wednesday, the network morning shows only allowed seconds of air time to retired police captain David Dorn being murdered by looters in St. Louis while he tried to defend a friend’s store.
If any of those abhorrent acts of violence had occurred in the midst of a Tea Party, pro-life, or anti-lockdown protest, the liberal media would never describe those events as “mostly peaceful.”
Here is a full transcript of the June 4 report on CBS This Morning:
7:08 AM ET
TONY DOKOUPIL: Moving now to new questions this morning over law enforcement’s response to the protests, protests which themselves were against police brutality. Demonstrations were almost exclusively peaceful yesterday at events held all across the country, including in Brooklyn, New York. But when that march in Brooklyn went past an 8:00 p.m. curfew, officers charged the crowd using batons and chasing people down who were trying to avoid arrest. Our national correspondent, Jericka Duncan, is outside Brooklyn’s Barclay Center, which has been a rallying point for these demonstrations and where that protest started. Jericka, good morning.
JERICKA DUNCAN: Good morning to you. This was the seventh straight day that we’ve had so far of mostly peaceful protests here in New York City. And thousands more are expected to gather in a nearby park later today and cross the Brooklyn Bridge in honor of Floyd’s death.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Curfew Crackdown; NYPD Confronts Peaceful Protesters as Other Cities Ease, Lift Curfew]
UNIDENTIFIED MAN [PROTESTER]: The other three officers are being charged. [Cheers]
DUNCAN: Hundreds of protesters in New York City erupted in cheers after hearing the three other former officers involved in George Floyd’s death will now face charges. What did you make of that?
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN [PROTESTER]: I think it’s the right decision obviously, but I still don’t think it’s enough. It’s a bigger problem than just George Floyd. This isn’t the first and it won’t be the last.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN B [PROTESTER]: The issue will be whether they can take it through the court system and have convictions.
DUNCAN: New York protesters continued peaceful demonstrations Wednesday. But after an 8:00 p.m. curfew went into effect, NYPD officers cracked down on demonstrators in Brooklyn. Witnesses say there were no calls for the crowd to disperse, and in a chaotic scene, police used their batons to physically move a large crowd of protesters. Some fell to the ground, and others were restrained.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN B [PROTESTER]: The protesters were actually moving as they requested, and they were still pushing them and hitting them. I saw cops actually diving at protesters. One person got hurt.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN C [PROTESTER]: We’re just walking, we’re moving!
DUNCAN: Police also seen chasing some of the protesters as they left the area.
MAN C: Stop it! Stop it! Please, stop!
UNIDENTIFIED MAN D [NYPD OFFICER]: Move!
DUNCAN: It was in sharp contrast to Seattle, where the mayor canceled the city’s nightly curfew because of the size and peaceful nature of the crowd. And in Detroit, the demonstrations were also allowed to run long. Police chief James Craig:
JAMES CRAIG [DETROIT POLICE CHIEF]: They’re peaceful, as everybody can see. There’s no problems. They want their voices heard, and we support that.
(...)
