A coronavirus shutdown protest in Long Island turned into a referendum on the mainstream media that left one local reporter declaring he’ll “probably never forget what happened” after he was “insulted,” “berated” and “practically chased by people who refused to wear masks in the middle of a pandemic.” But President Trump, who promoted video of the incident published by the reporter, cheered the “great people” at the “reopen” rally, whom he suggested are motivated by a “love of country” and share with him a healthy disdain for “fake news.”
As reported by News 12 Long Island, protesters gathered last Thursday in Commack, Long Island to advocate for the reopening of small businesses in the city after Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that New York’s PAUSE order has been extended for some counties until May 28.
When News 12’s Kevin Vesey went on the scene to report on a rally, at which the outlet made sure to note that people were not practicing proper “social distancing” mandates, protesters quickly let him know how they felt about his “fake news” reporting and the media’s bias against Trump and in favor of Cuomo.
“The level of anger directed at the media from these protestors was alarming,” Vesey tweeted along with video showing rallyers slamming the media over its coronavirus coverage (post below). “As always, I will tell a fair and unbiased story today.”
“Go home!” says one incensed protester. “You’re destroying Suffolk and Long Island!” declares another. “You are the enemy of the people!” says another. “We want real journalism that’s unbiased,” says another. “You’re a hack,” says one Trump shirt-wearing protester. “You’re supposed to be unbiased. You’re not unbiased,” says a female protester, who calls the reporter’s social media posts “disgusting.”
“I’ll probably never forget what happened today,” Vesey wrote in a follow-up post with his final report. “I was insulted. I was berated. I was practically chased by people who refused to wear masks in the middle of a pandemic. All the while, I was there to tell THEIR story.”
He also posted footage of what aired on the station the following day from the event. WATCH:
The level of anger directed at the media from these protestors was alarming. As always, I will tell a fair and unbiased story today. pic.twitter.com/5jCR0YY9VH
— Kevin Vesey (@KevinVesey) May 14, 2020
I'll probably never forget what happened today.
I was insulted. I was berated. I was practically chased by people who refused to wear masks in the middle of a pandemic.
All the while, I was there to tell THEIR story. Here's the finished product. pic.twitter.com/HV2Hrcs7gi— Kevin Vesey (@KevinVesey) May 14, 2020
This was my story that aired on TV today — a recap of yesterday's events, and what's happened since. pic.twitter.com/cfGrBYiLGJ
— Kevin Vesey (@KevinVesey) May 15, 2020
President Trump, however, had a far different takeaway from the footage. Rather than seeing something “disturbing,” Trump saw something patriotic and stemming from a shared loathing of “fake news.”
“People can’t get enough of this. Great people!” Trump wrote Saturday in a post highlighting one of Vesey’s posts.
“This love of Country went all over,” Trump tweeted Monday in another response to Vesey’s footage. “They hate Fake News, and so do I!”
People can’t get enough of this. Great people! https://t.co/b4HM0C298h
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 16, 2020
This love of Country went all over. They hate Fake News, and so do I! https://t.co/b4HM0C298h
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 18, 2020
Vesey has since posted more footage related to Thursday’s rally in which the organizers say that their reopen message was “obscured by a few loud voices.”
The organizers of Thursday's protest say their message was obscured by a few loud voices. So we gave them another chance to have their views heard. Here's the story. pic.twitter.com/JRfhGk606N
— Kevin Vesey (@KevinVesey) May 17, 2020
News 12 has since reported on another “reopen” rally in East Meadow of New York’s Nassau County.
“Protesters gathered in Nassau County Sunday to call for small businesses to reopen, as Long Island remains under New York’s PAUSE order due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” the outlet reported Sunday.
“Two months ago I would have not been here,” a resident told News 12. “In March, I think the shutdown was perfect. I think we had to flatten the curve — we flattened the curve.”
That rally too featured some “disturbing” messages directed at the media. “Several people at the rally alleged that News 12 would not be fair and one sign on display said ‘Fake News is Not Essential,'” the outlet reported.
News 12 also made sure to not that “some people at Sunday’s rally were not practicing social distancing or wearing masks, but that “Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder says it wouldn’t be safe to enforce those rules.”
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