'GREAT PEOPLE'
Trump backs anti-lockdown protesters in Long Island who shouted abuse at a local reporter in viral video
DONALD Trump has backed anti-lockdown protesters in Long Island who shouted abuse at a local reporter filming the rally in a video that has since gone viral.
Trump blasted out two retweets on Saturday celebrating the group, describing them as "great people" and denouncing the journalist's work as "fake news."
Vesey, who works for News12, filmed demonstrators at the rally in Commack invading his personal space without a mask and verbally abusing him.
, which have since been extended until June 13 for regions hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
Vesey posted a video showing people waving Trump 2020 banners, one demonstrator carrying a sign with the slogan "Hang Fauci," and others refusing to back away from the reporter.
He captioned the video: "The level of anger directed at the media from these protesters was alarming. As always, I will tell a fair and unbiased story today".
After catching wind of the viral video, Trump retweeted the tense exchange under the caption: "People can't get enough of this" adding he believed the demonstrators to be "great people".
He later added: “FAKE NEWS IS NOT ESSENTIAL!”
'INSULTED, BERATED, CHASED'
In the video, the reporter can be heard asking one protester “Can you please stay away from me, sir?” who insisted he was six feet apart and refused to "get away" from him.
Later in the video, when the same man walks close to the reporter again, Vesey tells him “I think you need to back away from me, sir."
“No, I’ve got hydroxychloroquine, I’m fine,” the man replied, in relation to the trial drug touted by .
"I'll probably never forget what happened today," the reporter wrote of his experience on Jericho Turnpike yesterday. "I was insulted. I was berated."
"I was practically chased by people who refused to wear masks in the middle of a pandemic.
"All the while, I was there to tell THEIR story. Here's the finished product."
During the 1.50 minute video, Vesey is called "fake news," a "traitor," and told "you are the virus" by shouting protestors.
The lockdown rally was organized by a group called the "Setauket Patriots," who have since apologized for how Vesey was treated.
"We can tell you that the few who decided to Harass you and try to prevent you from doing your job are not members or affialiated [sic] with the Setauket patriots group in any way, shape or form," the group said in a post last night.
"We were looking foward [sic] to you giving us fair coverage with what you documented when we first arrived.
"But as with all mass rally events you will always get a few idiots to disrupt an otherwise peaceful, pleasent [sic] demonstration and they should have been removed by Police."
Vesey said there was a larger police presence on Thursday, who put up barriers by the side walk and speak to demonstrators about social distancing.
This is the group's second demonstration after another May 1 protest, which was also reportedly monitored by Suffolk County cops.
I was practically chased by people who refused to wear masks in the middle of a pandemic.
Kevin Vesey
People NYC also protested the emergency measures before Governor Cuomo extended his PAUSE order in the hard-hit city until June 13.
The five boroughs and four other state regions needed to reopen on May 15 as planned.
Cuomo said Central New York would be able to open on Friday, May 15, along with Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley, Southern Tier and the North Country regions.
The news follows weeks of as Americans become increasingly frustrated with the lockdown orders, mass layoffs and business closures stemming from the vicious virus.
Cuomo ruled out large gatherings of any kind to mitigate the spread of the highly contagious virus, which has killed over 85,000 Americans as of May 15.
The CDC, governors, local officials, scientists, and disease experts like Dr Anthony Fauci have repeatedly emphasized the need for people to keep a 6 feet distance from others.
The deadly bug can survive in the - longer on other surfaces - and is easily spread from one person to another.
Trump, who previously acknowledged the need for social distancing, has voiced the need to prop up the flailing economy.
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Last month, he insisted nationwide despite pictures indicating otherwise in places like , , and a.
"I've watched some of the protests, not in great detail, but I've seen that and they're separated, a lot of space in between," he told reporters in late April. "They're watching, believe it or not, they're doing social distancing, if you can believe it and they are.
"And they're protesting and the groups I've seen have been very much spread out so I think that's good."
Protestors gather to demonstrate against the coronavirus lockdown in Harrisburg City, Pennsylvania
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