A Los Angeles news anchor sparked outrage for calling rioters “a bunch of people having fun watching cars burn” — while blaming law enforcement for wanting to stop the carnage.
Jory Rand of ABC 7 dramatically underplayed the violence even as his broadcast showed shocking images of cars completely ablaze in smoke-covered streets.
Noting there was “a large group of people” running wild, Rand said it “could turn very volatile if you move law enforcement in there the wrong way and turn what is just a bunch of people having fun watching cars burn into a massive confrontation and altercation between officers and demonstrators.”
Joe Kinsey, a senior editor at Outkick, accused Rand of being “worse than Baghdad Bob propaganda,” referring to the war-time propagandist for warmongering Iraq leader Saddam Hussein.
Another viewer outraged by Rand’s comments described him as “a special type of stupid” and claimed he had “no busy in the media industry.”
“Jory Rand is absolutely tone deaf about the L.A. riots. He’s part of the reason why the public can’t trust the media anymore,” another posted.
Another called him ther “biggest woke [journalist] I’ve ever seen.”
“You’re supposed to be neutral and report the news you should just go work for CNN,” one X user said.
Neither Rand nor ABC 7 appeared to have addressed the outrage.
Several cars, including law enforcement vehicles, have been torched or vandalized and multiple stores looted in the country’s second largest city riots that have engulfed downtown Los Angeles since the weekend continued for a fourth night on Monday.
At least five driverless Waymos set ablaze during protests against ICE enforcement in downtown Los Angeles Sunday evening — prompting the company to suspend the ride-sharing service to the area.
Minutes later, the California Highway Patrol dispersed the crowd of protesters from the 101 Freeway — however the agitators returned later and hurling fireworks and rocks at CHP cruisers parked on the highway, according to KTVU.
Video from the scene shows one CHP car engulfed in flames.
Dozens of rioters have been arrested in the demonstrations, which were sparked by ICE raids and have spread to other parts of the Golden State.
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