Staff Reports
Independent journalist Cam Higby was roughed up, robbed and had thousands of dollars of gear smashed while covering the chaotic protests outside Delaney Hall, the ICE detention center in Newark. His livestream and social posts show a dangerous scene that should alarm anyone who cares about press freedom, public safety, or basic common sense.
What unfolded at Delaney Hall — journalist attacked while covering ICE protests
Higby says he was filming a crowd that had erected barricades and blocked ambulances when things turned violent. Video shows a man smashing a federal vehicle windshield, a scuffle over Higby’s phone, and protesters grabbing and destroying his tripod and microphones. He says about $2,000 in camera gear was lost or damaged and that his security guard suffered a cut when ice was thrown. No criminal charges tied directly to Higby’s assault have been reported publicly yet, though multiple clips of the incident are circulating online.
Why this matters: press freedom, public safety, and blocked EMS
This wasn’t some peaceful disruption that got out of hand. Protesters blocked emergency medical access and erected concrete-and-fence barricades in the roadway — and then turned on a reporter doing his job. Blocking EMS is reckless. Attacking journalists is more than rude; it’s an attempt to silence witnesses. If we shrug and call it “passionate protest,” the next step is a press corps that’s too scared to show up where the story is — and that’s exactly what these mobs want.
Official response: curfews, promises to prosecute, and the need for action
Mayor Ras Baraka imposed a curfew and state officials have moved to create regulated protest zones while Governor Mikie Sherrill urged calm and pushed for inspections at the facility. At the federal level, Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche vowed prosecutions for threats and violence, and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has been outspoken about restoring order at the site. Words matter, but so do arrests and filings. Promises to pursue suspects are welcome — now follow them with arrests and prosecutions that actually hold lawbreakers accountable.
Final thoughts: stand with journalists and demand law and order
Journalists like Cam Higby didn’t pick a side to provoke violence; they showed up so the rest of us could see what was happening. When mobs start deciding who gets to report and when ambulances can pass, we’ve crossed a dangerous line. Conservatives should be loud in defending free speech and public safety — and demand that authorities treat attacks on journalists and obstruction of emergency services as the serious crimes they are. If not, the next crowd to cheer a broken phone will cheer the silence that follows.
