Watch This Baltimore Protestor Get ‘Kidnapped’ Live On CNN

As protests and riots continue in Baltimore, the arrest of a prominent protestor was caught live on camera by CNN, and many are comparing it to blackbag kidnappings.

Joseph Kent, a protest organizer and Morgan State University student, was out on the streets of Baltimore after the city curfew. In the video, he can be seen walking with his hands up in the air, and he is informing people of the curfew, including media crews present at the scene. According to CNN’s Chris Cuomo, Kent was telling the media “you need to disperse.” Shortly after, a National Guard humvee pulled up, mostly blocking the camera’s view of Kent, and police moved in fast:

“They drove the vehicle up and when it got close enough to create a wedge they ran out an grabbed him, pinned him against that and arrested him,” CNN anchor Chris Cuomo said. He also told viewers Tuesday night that police had earlier shot pepper spray at the young protester as he approached their line in the street.

The video quickly went viral, and soon, #JosephKent was trending on Twitter with people asking about his whereabouts and whether his arrest had been conducted in a lawful fashion:

https://twitter.com/TalibKweli/status/593296117795782657

https://twitter.com/teahnuhh/status/593421739272601600

https://twitter.com/Trojuan_/status/593285707143098368

After confirming that Kent was safe and awaiting processing, attorney Stephen Beatty said that he would represent Kent pro bono, and according to Beatty’s Twitter feed, Kent has taken him up on the offer:

Beatty has also claimed on his Twitter feed that he will be speaking about the case on CNN with Erin Burnett and Don Lemon:

Source: Mashable