Reuters Pulls a CNN on Its Description of Louisville Protest Where Two Officers Were Shot

Leah Barkoukis | September 24, 2020 7:34 AM

CNN has been mercilessly mocked over its delusional description of a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, as “fiery but mostly peaceful,” despite their correspondent standing in front of a massive blaze. Brian Stelter later admitted the chyron was “probably a mistake” and blamed it on a “young producer who’s trying their best under deadline in a breaking news situation.” Apparently learning nothing from CNN’s blunder, Reuters on Wednesday evening similarly described the situation in Louisville after the city erupted over Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron's announcement that the Grand Jury only indicted one officer involved in the March shooting of Breonna Taylor on a first- degree wanton endangerment charge.

Earlier in the day a demonstrator screamed at police, “All y’all get ready to fucking die!” Townhall’s Julio Rosas reported. Fires were set all around town, he observed, a U-Haul truck brought in supplies for rioters, and in the evening, the chaos escalated when two officers were shot.

"The crowd was marching in the street towards police," Rosas said. "Police fired flashbangs over the crowd. A few seconds later, I heard multiple gunshots and people started to scatter. Police then rushed in to clear the area."

And yet, Reuters described it as “mostly peaceful.”

“Demonstrations in Louisville wore on past nightfall in defiance of a 9 p.m. curfew and remained mostly peaceful until several gunshots rang out in the midst of a skirmish between protesters and heavily armed police.”

Demonstrations in Louisville wore on past nightfall in defiance of a 9 p.m. curfew and remained mostly peaceful until several gunshots rang out in the midst of a skirmish between protesters and heavily armed police https://t.co/lvEd2XalpJ pic.twitter.com/L8GrPNrwCg
— Reuters (@Reuters) September 24, 2020

Social media users mocked the wire service.

They tried to burn down the courthouse, threw water bottles at police, hitting one in the head and knocking him to the ground, smashed windows, shot two cops, but yes, other than that, peaceful. ??
— Carol Scott (@itzblue) September 24, 2020

Mostly peaceful shootings...

Your gaslighting game needs work.
— Cali Girl??To??Okie (@GooseGanderMom) September 24, 2020

After learning officers were shot, Reuters provided an update but did not remove the "mostly peaceful" tweet: "Two police officers were shot and wounded in Louisville, Kentucky, during protests ignited by a grand jury decision that civil rights activists decried as a miscarriage of justice in the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor."