Independent journalist and conservative influencer Nick Sortor says he was surrounded, threatened, and even robbed while covering anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis on January 11, 2026, a stark reminder that press freedom and basic safety are under assault in Democrat-run cities. Video and posts from Sortor show his vehicle swarmed, windows smashed, and his crew forced to flee as agitators tried to block and intimidate them.
Sortor described a terrifying 911 call in which he pleaded for help as protesters allegedly hurled frozen water bottles, sprayed graffiti on his truck, and issued death threats while trying to force him out of the area. He and fellow influencer Cam Higby said they were lucky to escape, praising the Eagan Police Department for responding to the dangerous standoff when local leadership failed to control the mob.
This confrontation did not happen in a vacuum — it followed nationwide unrest after an ICE officer’s shooting became a flashpoint, with demonstrators taking to the streets and clashes escalating in multiple cities. Yet instead of protecting citizens and reporters, local officials too often shrink from enforcing the law, allowing lawless street tactics to become the default.
The Minneapolis episode exposes a perilous double standard: left-wing mobs are labeled “peaceful protestors” by elite media and sympathetic politicians while anyone daring to report the truth or support law enforcement is vilified and endangered. Conservatives who document enforcement of the law are being targeted for simply doing their jobs, and that’s a warning sign for every American who values free speech and public order.
Critics will point out Sortor’s profile as a partisan influencer, and outlets have dug into his past coverage and legal run-ins, which only highlights how raw and polarized our information environment has become. Whether you agree with his politics or not, no one should be mobbed, robbed, or threatened for holding a camera and trying to record events — that is an assault on journalism and the public’s right to know.
Responsible authorities must act now: federal and local law enforcement need to protect journalists and enforce laws against intimidation and theft, and elected leaders in Minneapolis should stop playing politics with public safety. If Americans — especially conservative voices on the ground — are not safe reporting the news, our democracy suffers and anarchy wins.
Patriots should stand with citizen journalists like Sortor who risk their safety to expose what is happening on the streets, and demand accountability from the officials who let mobs run roughshod over communities. This is about more than one camera or one influencer; it’s about defending the First Amendment, insisting on law and order, and refusing to let violence and intimidation silence the American people.
