NBC TV REPORTER’S VEHICLE TOWED WHILE COVERING HUNTER PROTEST RALLY

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By Miriam Raftery

February 24, 2017 (El Cajon) – An NBC y TV reporter’s car was towed from the parking lot outside Congressman Duncan Hunter’s office yesterday while filming a protest rally on sidewalks nearby that drew several hundred people, NBC 7 news director Greg Dawson told East County Magazine.

“Our reporter was there doing live shots,” he said. Western Towing Company towed the unmarked vehicle away despite a press parking pass issued by San Diego Police Department clearly displayed on the dashboard., Dawson confirmed.

“I don’t know who ordered it towed or why,” said Dawson, adding that he is trying to find out.

Hunter’s staff had sent a letter to protesters from the group called Indivisible prior to the protest rally advising that the staff would no longer meet with constituents who were members, that anyone who showed up on the private property would be arrested for trespass and that constituents or protesters’ vehicles parked in the private strip mall lot would be towed.

Marilyn Riley, a member of the East County Democratic Club, posted an email to the group stating Sheriff’s officials indicated they did not order a news van towed. It is unclear whether the car (not a van) owned by NBC was ordered towed by Hunter’s office or mall security, since it was on private, not public property.   

East County Magazine called Western Towing to ask who ordered the towing, why the company did not honor the press pass on the windshield, and whether it would drop charges against NBC if the towing company erred by mistaking a reporter’s vehicle for a protester’s car. 

A woman who answered refused to answer our questions, indicating they would only talk to the registered owner of the vehicle, then hung up.

Around the country, actions to intimidate and harass media have been on the rise; multiple reporters have been arrested for covering protest activities in Ferguson, Missouri and at the Dakota Access Pipeline protest site in Cannonball, North Dakota.  Others have had cameras seized while documenting protest activities.  It is unclear whether media was intentionally targeted in this instance, or whether the towing company and whoever ordered the towing failed to notice the media parking pass on the dash.


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