‘Exit plan’: CNN reporter leaves vote count centre in Arizona
A TV reporter at a vote counting centre in a battleground state says she was told they “needed to leave” as an “armed” crowd gathered outside.
A TV reporter at a vote counting centre in Arizona says her crew had to come up with an “exit plan” to leave the building.
CNN reporter Kyung Lah said a number of people in the crowd outside were “armed” and carrying “long guns” and “semiautomatic rifles”.
“We are just being told that this building is now going to close,” she said.
“We are the last news organisation allowed to do a live shot here.”
Viewers said she seemed “genuinely terrified”.
Sheriffs were seen in “tactical gear” inside the Maricopa County Elections Department.
Video: Here's CNN saying that the Maricopa County Elections Department building was CLOSING due to what was a genuine concern in the voice of Kyung Lah for the group of Trump supporters outside, insinuating they were looking for trouble. But counting would continue (1/) pic.twitter.com/A1t0jpA8mE
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) November 5, 2020
CNN’s Kyung Lah seems genuinely terrified to go outside and it was horrific and sad and NECESSARY. https://t.co/GWeJZqHnVP
— Courtney Enlow (@courtenlow) November 5, 2020
On Twitter, Ms Lah confirmed the counting of the ballots had not stopped.
She said press were told “we needed to leave the building”.
Earlier, she said “many of the workers are elderly” within the department.
The winner of the US Presidential Election remains very much up in the air and the numbers out of Arizona, which has 11 electoral votes, are still tight.
RELATED: Follow our live US election results
Can confirm the work of counting all the ballots has not stopped. https://t.co/eZg356Tx5n pic.twitter.com/bVQeeg4nuV
— Kyung Lah (@KyungLahCNN) November 5, 2020
“This is a crowd that is armed.†CNN’s @KyungLahCNN reporting from inside Maricopa County, AZ, Elections Dept. where there is a group of protesters outside.
— Ryan Lizza (@RyanLizza) November 5, 2020
A CNN reporter is on TV saying Maricopa officials are forming an “exit plan†b/c there’s an armed mob outside the elections office. Ballot counters are going to be trying to leave the building soon. Their cars are in a parking lot filled with Trump supporters; some have guns.
— Dell Cameron (@dellcam) November 5, 2020
Nicole Valdes, a reporter at ABC 15 Arizona, said some of the crowd had tried to “gain access” and were “claiming to be journalists”.
“They came inside at one point,” she said on Twitter on Wednesday night local time.
In vision, one woman can be heard telling the crowd: “We’ve got to keep the pressure up.”
About 200 people now gathering in front of the Maricopa County Elections Department. #AZ2020 pic.twitter.com/HF8MAzdhKB
— Gadi Schwartz (@GadiNBC) November 5, 2020
UPDATE: Now a massive crowd outside. Way more people than earlier. MCSO being called. Security worried they may try to make their way inside. #ABC15 pic.twitter.com/bhUpHuJFoI
— Nicole Valdes (@NicoleValdesTV) November 5, 2020
Trump supporters are outside of the Maricopa County Elections Department demanding to be let inside as ballots are being counted. #azfamily #Election2020 pic.twitter.com/HjyN7ufy23
— Kim Powell (@KimPowellTV) November 5, 2020
Earlier in the night, Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs said there were about 600,000 outstanding early ballots and about 340,000 in Maricopa County, including Phoenix, CNN reported.
This comes after President Donald Trump took the unprecedented step of declaring victory and blamed voter fraud, saying he would take it to the Supreme Court to dispute the counting of votes.
Tensions are high in the US and people took to the streets for a second night without a result from the presidential election.
GUARDS BLOCK BALLOT DOORS
Earlier on Wednesday, protesters stormed a convention centre in Michigan calling for vote counting to stop.
NBC reporter Steve Patterson tweeted footage of protesters chanting “stop the count” and trying to push their way into the TCF Hall in Detroit where ballots were being counted. He said it was “tense” as guards blocked the door.
#TCFCENTER: From the inside, the heavy thudding of rhythmic banging against the glass after the boxes were taken down.
— Steve Patterson (@PattersonNBC) November 4, 2020
Chanting is echoing in the hall.
Inside: Workers are quietly, diligently counting. @NBCNews pic.twitter.com/IQZd6wKWiF
The scene at Detroit’s absentee ballot counting center is growing more heated. The windows now being covered up. Allegations of violations. Sec. of State says she welcomes challenges. pic.twitter.com/oUL4A0h3Ku
— Matt Finn (@MattFinnFNC) November 4, 2020
On Wednesday night, protesters gathered in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington DC, among other locations, with banners reading “Count Every Vote”, “Keep Counting” and “Every Vote Counts”.
On election day, NYPD Chief Terence A. Monahan said there were “thousands of additional cops at the ready”.
“For anyone who plans to peacefully protest in the coming days, we are here for you. But we need your help too. Let those who are trying to cause chaos know they are not welcome,” he said.
“Don’t let them steal your message, separate from those agitators and we will deal with them.”
On Wednesday night, the police department said it was “working to de-escalate” a situation in West Village.
NYC protest organisers also shared vision of attendees being “kettled”, or confined to a space, and thrown to the ground by officers.
One woman can be heard saying “Oh my God” in the background.
We support everyone's right to self-expression, but setting fires puts others at risk and will not be tolerated. We are working to de-escalate the situation near Morton Street in the West Village to prevent further damage from occurring. pic.twitter.com/4nTK6UUBzC
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) November 5, 2020
Police begin to mass arrest kettled group at 5th and 8th St.
— NYC Protest Updates 2020 (@protest_nyc) November 5, 2020
Protestors, packed like sardines, are beaten and arrested while onlooking officers laugh. pic.twitter.com/TCwVzFiRed
The country awaits a final decision on who the next President and Commander-in-chief will be.
A handful of states remain undeclared with a record number of postal votes still being counted.
One man was filmed yelling at a throng of reporters in the battleground state of Nevada, claiming Joe Biden was “stealing” the election.
“We want our freedom for the world,” he screamed passionately, wearing a singlet reading: “BBQ, Beer, Freedom”.
We are outside the Clark County Election Center where Registrar of Voters is addressing the ballots that still have to be counted. Man walked up and started yelling. @8NewsNow pic.twitter.com/cZ8RepmxLV
— Joe Moeller (@joemoeller44) November 4, 2020
NEW: A conspiracy theorist wearing a t-shirt that says "BBQ, Beer, Freedom" interrupts a press conference by the Clark County, Nevada Registrar of Voters. [KSNV-TV] #Election2020 pic.twitter.com/Rz2FgK38vZ
— Matthew Keys (@MatthewKeysLive) November 4, 2020
State governors in Georgia, among those still waiting to decare a final result, have said every vote will be counted and warned against creating “narratives” about how it might play out.
The National Guard was seen on the streets of Pennsylvania.
THE FIRST NIGHT OF PROTESTS
Following the vote demonstrators burned US flags and marched through the US city of Portland armed with protest songs and assault rifles as a confusing election night gave way to tension across the country.
The liberal enclave in the state of Oregon had braced for possible armed clashes after months of divisive rallies involving left-wing activists, right-wing militias and federal officers deployed by the Trump administration.
As President Donald Trump claimed he won the US election early Wednesday, despite key states still counting ballots, activists gathered outside the Portland federal courthouse — the epicentre of the summer’s fraught anti-racism protests.
“We don’t like either candidate — I shamefully voted for Biden — but if Trump gets another four years people will be mad,” said one 20-year-old protester, who asked to be called “L,” as two American flags were ignited in front of the building.
The clashes followed similar instances outside the White House where protesters gathered in Black Lives Matter Plaza where a non-saleable fence had been erected.
In New York, shops boarded up windows and extra security was deployed outside Trump tower in anticipation of unrest.
The FBI has warned of the potential for armed clashes in Portland linked to the polls, but there were no signs of election night activity from right-wing groups such as the Proud Boys.
And by the early hours of Wednesday police had not engaged with the protesters, some of whom earlier participated in a peaceful 400-strong Black Lives Matter march around east Portland.
RELATED: When we’ll know US election results
‘IT’S GONNA BE CRAZY’
The three-hour march was led by a convoy including at least half a dozen protesters armed with assault rifles, knives and a shotgun. Rumours and reports of shifts in the national and state races still being counted spread among marchers.
“I heard Trump has the momentum now,” said 20-year-old protest leader Ty Ford.
“It’s gonna be a riot. Whenever it comes out, it’s gonna be crazy.”
“It is like picking between two evils but honestly, we’ll settle with Biden,” said fellow leader “D.D.,” aged 22.
Demands ranged from abolishing ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to justice for Black victims of police violence including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, before the march ended with a rendition of “Hallelujah.”
There were also moments of levity as protest leaders cajoled those watching the march from their apartment windows to join the rally.
“Hey, stick your head out the window, tell us how the election is going — and then maybe slip on your shoes and come help us start a revolution,” shouted one activist.
– with AFP
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