Duluth Police Investigating Trump Supporter Who Attacked WCCO Photojournalist

From the Minnesota Reformer:

By Ricardo Lopez

October 1, 2020

News media and political leaders on Thursday condemned an attack by a Trump supporter of a WCCO photographer in Duluth.

“By now you’ve probably seen that @WCCO photojournalist @Dymanh was attacked by this knucklehead Wednesday in Duluth, covering activity near a campaign rally for President Trump,” wrote Guy Still, a WCCO assistant manager who assigned Dymanh Chhoun to cover the president’s campaign rally on Wednesday.

Chhoun, who is a Thai refugee, was taking footage of protests near Duluth International Airport, and was beginning to record a confrontation between Trump supporters and anti-Trump protestors who had gathered.

According to WCCO, “Chhoun identified himself as a member of the media. He began recording one Trump supporter when the man turned around and said: ‘You guys want to be peaceful? Be peaceful! You want to be violent? Come to me!’ The man then punched the phone out of Chhoun’s hand.”

The photographer was unhurt, the station said. WCCO also reported that Duluth police are investigating the incident and trying to determine who the man is.

The attack has been widely condemned.

In a statement, the Minnesota chapter of Asian American Journalists Association, said it “stands in solidary with our fellow journalists, and condemns threats and attacks that interfere with journalists’ right to do their jobs without fearing for their safety.”

The professional group also said: “Journalists face an increasingly hostile environment, and video of the incident serves as a reminder of the risks that journalists encounter every day while reporting on the front lines.”

Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, called on his Republican counterpart, as well as U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber, the congressman for the northern Minnesota district, to denounce the attack.

“Political violence is never acceptable under any circumstances,” Martin said in a statement. “It is essential that political campaigns remain peaceful and that everyone treats members of the media with the respect they deserve.”

The normally staid style of Minnesota electioneering has seen its share of more tumultuous demonstrations this year. Law enforcement officials have investigated the break-in of U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips’ office, which resulted in the result of a Rogers man.

A request seeking comment from a MN GOP Party spokesman was not immediately returned Thursday, and the party hasn’t made any statements on its social media pages.

Former GOP U.S. Rep. Jason Lewis, who is running for the U.S. Senate against Sen. Tina Smith, called it “very upsetting” to see the attack.

Lewis, a staunch Trump supporter, said: “Freedom of the press is protected by the Constitution, and that needs to be understood and respected.”

The Minnesota Reformer is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to keeping Minnesotans informed and unearthing stories other outlets can’t or won’t tell..