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There’s fake news and then there’s the MSNBC version of fake news.
Last night, as the rioting and looting continued for the third day in a row on the streets of Minneapolis, MSNBC anchor Ali Velshi was doing a live report from the scene, and gave a description of what he said was going on in the city.
“I want to be clear on how I characterize this. This is mostly a protest. It is not, generally speaking, unruly but fires have been started and this crowd is relishing that,” Velshi told fellow MSNBC anchor Brian Williams. “There is a deep sense of grievance and complaint here, and that is the thing. That when you discount people who are doing things to public property that they shouldn’t be doing, it does have to be understood that this city has got, for the last several years, an issue with police, and it’s got a real sense of the deep sense of grievance of inequality.”
Except it was unruly. In fact, it was far worse than simply “unruly” and it was far more than “mostly a protest” – as viewers who were watching what was going on behind Velshi saw unfold as he morphed into Baghdad Bob:
MSNBC reporter just now: "I want to be clear on how I characterize this. This is mostly a protest. It is not generally speaking unruly."
The guy is literally standing in front of a burning building in the middle of a riot. pic.twitter.com/IzCV6On4sF
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) May 29, 2020
Velshi was saying this as fires and riots were taking place all around him, including at the police precinct where the four officers who were fired over the death of George Floyd were previously stationed. Rioters looted and set fire to it after police got out of the building.
Pay that no mind, though, y’all. Move along. Nothing to see here:
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 29, 2020
And now, let's go to @AliVelshi at the Minneapolis Third Precinct police station… pic.twitter.com/ACWHMIhqOs
— I didn't vote for him, so think of a new retort (@jtLOL) May 29, 2020
Show me the difference #MinneapolisRiot #Minneapolisprotests pic.twitter.com/fYmw7G7CFI
— Ryan James Girdusky (@RyanGirdusky) May 29, 2020
In front of a literal conflagration, MSNBC’s @AliVelshi channels Kevin Bacon’s parade scene from Animal House.
Velshi actually stipulates that the MN riot scene “is not, generally speaking, unruly.”
Journalism…ishpic.twitter.com/oADiaMocnS
— Steve Cortes (@CortesSteve) May 29, 2020
Velshi’s bizarre description of the scene was perhaps motivated by what NBC reported Thursday morning in terms of how they’d be characterizing the events taking place in Minneapolis:
This will guide our reporting in MN. “While the situation on the ground in Minneapolis is fluid, and there has been violence, it is most accurate at this time to describe what is happening there as "protests"–not riots.”
— Craig Melvin (@craigmelvin) May 28, 2020
So an under-construction affordable housing apartment complex has been completely destroyed, same same for multiple buildings including the local Target and another chain grocery store. Local businesses that served the community have also been looted and burned. Random cars were also set on fire. It’s so bad that even the National Guard has been called in.
But otherwise, yeah, these aren’t riots or anything. Just “mostly a protest.”
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