KGW News reporter Maggie Vespa was allegedly manhandled at a protest on Thursday at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility at Portland’s South Waterfront.
“Just got grabbed & shoved by a protester,” Vespa wrote in a tweet.
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In a subsequent tweet, Vespa wrote: “[By the way], this was followed by the woman w/ the bullhorn yelling ‘We don’t want you here! We don’t trust you anyway!’ She’d held a press conference an hour prior.”
A separate incident at the same protest showed a protester harassing another reporter, specifically attacking her appearance.
“I want to share with you what reporters, especially female ones, are dealing with at the Occupy Ice protest in Portland,” KPTV Reporter Kandra Kent wrote on Facebook. “This sort of vile behavior has been going on for more than a week, although this might be the worst case that I’ve seen. Kudos to Genevieve Reaume for handling this tough situation with grace and professionalism.”
“Being in this industry will give you thick skin fast,” Kent continued. “But I’m sad to say the senseless verbal attacks, threats and lack of decency have become much more prevalent, in my experience, in the last couple of years reporting on streets around the Portland area.”
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