Migrant Standoff in NYC Turns Ugly as 10 Outside Activists Move Against Media With Open Umbrellas

The ongoing migrant standoff at a Manhattan hotel turned ugly Wednesday after a group of about 10 outside activists used open umbrellas to prevent the news media from documenting the scene.

The intervention prompted several migrants to angrily confront a journalist who was shooting a video for Dubai-based Al Arabiya TV, with one migrant hitting the camera {snip}

Some of the 35 migrants gathered in front of the Watson Hotel in Hell’s Kitchen also shouted at other camera operators to try to intimidate them.

NYPD cops issued warnings but made no arrests.

The newshound whose camera was struck, Ghassan Masoud, said he’d never been treated so badly during a career that’s included coverage of the Iraq War.

“In 30 years, even in war zones, I’ve never experienced aggression like that,” Masoud said.

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“One migrant threatened to hit me with a broom, which is when the cops stepped in and told them I had every right to film,” he said.

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