Well, the good news is that no matter what happens here, CNN’s Don Lemon will probably defend it. So the protesters/rioters have that going for them.
According to local news coverage which I’m watching as I write this, protesters are throwing objects to break the glass at the front of the building. It appears the goal is to to get inside but no one really seems to know. For the moment, the crowd is just hanging around, vandalizing the CNN logo and throwing things at the police.
Protestors set their sites on the CNN sign in downtown Atlanta. pic.twitter.com/MyDHscOgdD
— Jennifer Brett (@Jennifer__Brett) May 29, 2020
Protestors are throwing things at Atlanta police officers outside CNN Center. Photo by Alyssa Pointer @AlyssaNo_L pic.twitter.com/anCASmQYDt
— Jennifer Brett (@Jennifer__Brett) May 29, 2020
More images from the CNN Center in downtown Atlanta, from photographer Ben Gray pic.twitter.com/7s8ItQuRYM
— Jennifer Brett (@Jennifer__Brett) May 29, 2020
But let’s roll back a bit and see how this developed over the past hour or so. Since this is CNN’s headquarters, they had a reporter on hand to cover it.
Scene right now outside @cnn center; what appears to be National Guard is about to roll in pic.twitter.com/ry6PCPGMgP
— Fernando Alfonso III (@fernalfonso) May 29, 2020
I really want to know if CNN called the police, but SWAT rolled in.
SWAT units approaching protesters outside the @cnn center pic.twitter.com/BAtBiIp0ss
— Fernando Alfonso III (@fernalfonso) May 29, 2020
People started throwing things at SWAT.
Water bottles and other objects getting thrown at SWAT units after they approached protesters in front of the CNN Center pic.twitter.com/VzvrwKwozy
— Fernando Alfonso III (@fernalfonso) May 29, 2020
More protesters and more SWAT units arrived. The protesters/rioters started vandalizing the logo out front.
CNN logo defaced in Atlanta following growing protests outside its headquarters pic.twitter.com/8i8TmumD5B
— Fernando Alfonso III (@fernalfonso) May 29, 2020
They burned a flag.
Flag burning outside the CNN Center, the company's headquarters in Atlanta; more and more protesters chanting, yelling pic.twitter.com/1b94LFisZA
— Fernando Alfonso III (@fernalfonso) May 29, 2020
Atlanta protesters burn American flag in front of CNN Center #GeorgeFloyddeath pic.twitter.com/89FLqW0GYt
— ivan (@ivan8848) May 29, 2020
Then they started breaking glass again.
Glass getting broken outside the main entrance to CNN's Atlanta headquarters; protesters cheer pic.twitter.com/EToiEj5Pom
— Fernando Alfonso III (@fernalfonso) May 29, 2020
SWAT officers moved between the mob and the building.
SWAT trying to deflect bottles and other objects from breaking more glass outside CNN's Atlanta headquarters pic.twitter.com/PLLxDHwzjb
— Fernando Alfonso III (@fernalfonso) May 29, 2020
More broken glass, but then protesters decided to attack some police cars while the crowd cheered them on.
Protesters race away from CNN's Atlanta headquarters after another glass was broken pic.twitter.com/cZIOgl9u79
— Fernando Alfonso III (@fernalfonso) May 29, 2020
Protesters turning their attention to Atlanta police cars outside the CNN Center pic.twitter.com/tEMeYMSTtT
— Fernando Alfonso III (@fernalfonso) May 29, 2020
Police cars getting literally destroyed in Atlanta outside the CNN Center pic.twitter.com/x5zRxZVQpb
— Fernando Alfonso III (@fernalfonso) May 29, 2020
Here’s what that looked and sounded like up close.
https://twitter.com/EgyptianWeeknd/status/1266520513427509249
Police are now pushing the rioters out.
Protesters getting dispersed by police as the destruction if police cars outside the CNN Center continues pic.twitter.com/CoRwbKY7jj
— Fernando Alfonso III (@fernalfonso) May 29, 2020
Phone died, biked home as chants of "Fuck CNN" from protesters grew from across the street from the CNN Center, its Atlanta headquarters. Here's the last video I took. pic.twitter.com/qQzG5QL4R7
— Fernando Alfonso III (@fernalfonso) May 30, 2020
Someone set one of the police cars on fire.
This is Downtown Atlanta right now. #downtownatlanta #atlantaprotest #atlanta #donaldtrump #JusticeForGeorge #JusticeForGeorgeFlyod #BlackLiveMatter #CNN pic.twitter.com/0FV9H3b6p4
— Thee Jacksonian (@JacksonianMedia) May 30, 2020
Here’s CNN’s on-air coverage of the riot at their own headquarters.
>> @CNNValencia reporting from near the CNN Center in Atlanta: "This is terrible to witness." pic.twitter.com/x3GE8a5sf5
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) May 30, 2020
Will be the end of this? It’s not even dark yet. I guess we’ll see if the protesters return later or move on to another target. The real mystery is why they picked CNN at all. As networks go, CNN’s coverage has been pretty friendly to the protesters, hasn’t it?
Update: This is definitely not over. Protesters are standing outside the broken windows of CNN Center throwing objects at cops who are forming a line inside the lobby of the building. CNN reporter Nick Valencia, who you saw in that clip above, is covering the standoff.
At one point in this clip, someone throws a firework inside and it explodes at the feet of the officers. Valencia actually said “Sh*t!” on air in reaction. This is the most pro-police CNN will ever be.
One more video from CNN's live coverage of rioters causing havoc trying to breach the CNN Center in Atlanta. Nick @CNNValencia did a great job and @ChrisCuomo as well coaching him through this. Right after this, tear gas canisters started to really spread and Nick fled the scene pic.twitter.com/5KKqgyOdai
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) May 30, 2020
What you're seeing live on CNN is vandalism in the lobby of CNN Center in Atlanta. So disturbing to see. FYI: Our control rooms and newsroom employees are several floors and locked doors away. The coverage continues, no matter what.
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) May 30, 2020
Throwing objects including incendiary devices at the police is not vandalism. Here’s the next portion of that segment where the firework went off. Valencia and his crew have retreated and Chris Cuomo is explaining what’s happening.
The last moments of @CNNValencia's live shot from the entrance of the CNN Center in Atlanta before he moved to another location. pic.twitter.com/B7ZlYyt6xz
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) May 30, 2020
Update: The Mayor of Atlanta is as surprised as everyone else that the rioters are attacking CNN.
Atlanta Mayor @KeishaBottoms : “There was a black reporter who was arrested on camera this morning, who works for CNN. They are telling our stories and you are disgracing their building.”
— Alli Gordon (@alligordon_) May 30, 2020
A good point…
Imagine how CNN would be covering this if these were Trump supporters doing this: https://t.co/r92Bi9SQiM
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) May 30, 2020
This guy is a rapper called Killer Mike.
Killer Mike confronts CNN for stoking the fire that led to their Atlanta HQ being invaded and trashed:
“Stop spreading fear and anger everyday.” https://t.co/xz3J1htul8
— Caleb Hull (I'm With the CCP Don't Ban Me) (@CalebJHull) May 30, 2020
Lots of people asking ‘Why CNN?’ But why attack any of the places that have been looted/vandalized/burned down? What did Target do?
https://twitter.com/HashtagGriswold/status/1266552663967174658
Update: Some of the damage.
#BREAKING New photos show damage to the front of the College Football Hall of Fame, the CNN Center, and The Omni Hotel after protesters move through Downtown #Atlanta. #fox5atl #GeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/AZn4sx7fYz
— FOX 5 Atlanta (@FOX5Atlanta) May 30, 2020
Update: Here’s the mayor, sounding emotional over what is happening. “When Dr. King was assassinated, we didn’t do this to our city.” (I’m replacing the previous clip with a longer version of the same speech.)
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms says the violent demonstrations in Atlanta are “disgracing the life of George Floyd”: “When you burn down this city, you’re burning down our community. If you want change in America, go and register to vote.” https://t.co/N5oZfxvFs3 pic.twitter.com/us3whIQnqu
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 30, 2020
