An MSNBC anchor covering the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis appeared to sympathize with the lawlessness on display in a conversation with a Black Lives Matter activist recorded on a hot mic.
MSNBC’s Ali Velshi provided live coverage to the network throughout the demonstrations on Thursday night, with a concurrent livestream published to YouTube. Throughout a moment when Velshi was off video camera, he can be heard on a hot mic recorded in the YouTube stream going over the night’s events with Ja’Mal Green, a Black Lives Matter activist and former Chicago mayoral candidate, who approached Velshi and presented himself as someone “helping … lead” the demonstrations.
Green and Velshi’s conversation, recorded nearly 2 hours and 14 minutes into the livestream, reveals Velshi agreeing with Green’s assessments of the rioting.
“People are upset and their reaction, you can’t be mad at them for it,” Green stated, to which Velshi responded “yeah, since what does justice appear like?”
“Why do I need to play by somebody’s guidelines if there’s no justice? … I hear you. I never wish to see this, but that struck different, male,” Velshi continued. “I have actually been a reporter for 30 years nearly, and people used to tell me ‘these stories do not truly happen, individuals don’t shoot individuals who aren’t armed, people do not kill individuals who aren’t doing anything,’ and then suddenly electronic cameras showed up. How lots of have we seen in one week? That woman in Central Park, Ahmaud Arbery … the question is what changes, what does it change, does this get anywhere or do people just let it burn.”
Velshi’s conversation took place after rioters had breached the Minneapolis Police Department’s 3rd Precinct and set it ablaze upon a police withdrawal. Talking to another unknown spectator, Velshi said into the hot mic that he was “not feeling the menace” of the situation and that it did not “look like a riot.”
“There’s always a group of people who make the most of this type of stuff, however that’s not it … that taking of the police headquarters had a symbolic feel to it,” he claimed. “I suggest that’s simply an American city in 2020 and the cops are not in control.”
He also seemed unaware that he was being taped, stating “they keep taking our shots so I never understand when I’m on responsibility and when I’m not.” Earlier at night, Velshi said on live television that “it is not, normally speaking, rowdy” as he stood in front of a burning storefront.
MSNBC press reporter just now: “I wish to be clear on how I characterize this. This is mainly a protest. It is not usually speaking unruly.”
The person is actually standing in front of a burning building in the middle of a riot. pic.twitter.com/IzCV6On4sF
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) May 29, 2020
MSNBC did not return a request for remark on Velshi’s remarks.
