Advertise with us

Student Reporter Harassed at DSM Black Liberation Movement Protest

by | Jun 6, 2021 | State Politics

The Black Liberation movement held a protest at 6:30 pm on June 5 at Des Moines Public Schools Central Academy. The event was initially titled a “Fuck The Police” protest. However, later promotional posts removed that language.

Here, many activists congregated over the hour brandishing their signs while hiding behind masks and sunglasses to hide their identities.

Later, the crowd went over to Grand Avenue to block the street entirely with vehicles screaming,“Fuck you, Kim Reynolds,” at Terrace Hill, The Governor’s Home.

Student reporter Caleb Lillquist intended to cover the event for Iowa Field Report; however, after identifying himself as a member of the media, he was confronted by activists who began to harass him and demand he leave.

Activists then began to take pictures and videos of Lillquist, while also trying to inspect his phone.

Eventually, umbrellas were used to completely cover Lillquist’s point of view, where he was then surrounded by protestors and trapped completely on all sides.

“No one wants you here,” and “You’re a shit journalist who works for a shit place,” were many of the vulgar language and profanities made towards Lillquist.

Lillquist was accused of ‘creating a scene and making it all about you’ when he confronted the intolerant crowd pleading about how he was doing his job as a student political reporter.

Other comments such as ‘This is freedom of speech’ were used to justify the obstruction against Lillquist’s reporting occurring on a public sidewalk and parking lot.

Even when Lillquist left for safer surrounding away from the chaos, a BLM scout team was sent to keep an eye out for him as they stalked and stared at him across the street periodically throughout the protest.

Even after the ‘protest’ ended around 9:30, Lillquist was still harassed as protestors drove by in their cars with their middle fingers out, screaming “fuck you” towards him.

Another observation made by Lillquist was that he was constantly being harassed and bullied by white activists, a paradox as he was one of the few minorities in attendance.