Anderson Cooper Attacked By Protesters in Egypt

By John Mitchell Posted Feb 2nd 2011 10:45AM

Anderson Cooper and his crew were attacked by supporters of embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo early Wednesday, according to the Huffington Post. CNN Coverage Manager Steve Brusk tweeted that Cooper "was punched 10 times in the head as pro-Mubarak mob surrounded him and his crew trying to cover demonstration."

Cooper was covering dueling demonstrations between pro-Mubarak supporters and those calling for the president to be removed from office when he and his crew came under attack. No major injuries were reported, and the anchor spoke to CNN's 'American Morning' early Wednesday about the attack. "My team were set upon by the crowd," Cooper said via satellite from a Cairo hotel. "There was no rhyme or reason to it -- it was just people looking for a fight, looking to make a point and punching us."

"They at first started going for the cameras; they didn't want any pictures taken," Cooper said. "The crowd kept growing, kept throwing punches, kicks ... suddenly a young man would look at you and punch you in the face."

CNN issued an update this morning indicating there were no serious injuries sustained during the attack. Cooper and his crew had been trying to steer clear of the protesters by remaining in a neutral zone between the two groups. But as the size of the crowd increased, the situation became less stable, resulting in violence between the two factions in the increasingly unstable country.

"Anderson Cooper witnessed a huge crowd of Mubarak supporters surge across a no-man's land dividing them from the anti-Mubarak crowd and overturn a military vehicle on the street as a huge roar went up. A large cloud of smoke arose at the east entrance to Tahrir Square," CNN wrote. "Military vehicles were separating pro- and anti-Mubarak demonstrators, and several gasoline bombs had been tossed."

Major anti-government protests began in Egypt on Jan. 25 -- the "Day of Anger," also National Police Day -- and have escalated in size and violence since. Millions have turned out to demand President Mubarak and his regime's immediate removal from office amid allegations of abuse of power and corruption within his administration. More recently, however, supporters of the president have turned out to stage counter protests that have become extremely violent, with the two sides attacking each other with stones, bottles and sticks and the Egyptian military forced to police the situation.

► Catch Up: Mubarak Supporters Clash With Protesters | Obama to Mubarak: Time's Up

Tags: anderson cooper, cnn

Comments

(1058)

Wednesday 02 February

By Paul

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Joyce Jackson - If he'd lost his life it would have been suicide of his choosing. He's not a reporter, he's just a talking face trying to get ratings and cred. Furthermore, if he wants to risk his life, that's fine, but he's a freakin' moron to drag a crew with him to report on something any intelligent person could do from a safe distance - just like the Weather Channel's Jim Cantore. Don't get your shorts in such a twist!

By kingman99

Cooper is a fool for being there in the first place! He was looking for trouble and found it, big deal.
The pro Murbarak protesters work for him and are getting paid to cause problems.
What did you expect, just looting????????

They will not stop as long as they can loot and get paid at the same time.
Solution hand out rifles and let the action begin !!!!!!!!

By dte0905

Peaceful Muslims

By racquetguy1

Muslims don't like gay people, in fact they kill them. I guess it's part of their peaceful religious ways.

By bob

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A little homophobic are we?? Do you feel threatened??

By JackRNX

You just have to love your job! Take a tip from Dog The Bounty Hunter; carry large container's of maise. Next time duck...

By texvoodoo2

Hmmmmm I thought Americans was going to be loved and respected the world over once we elected Obama? It looks like we've been lied to yet again by Chairman Zero. I wonder how long it will be before they start taking American hostages?

By samuel ogunro

Texvoodoo2. I wander where you got the idea that electing Obama as President will make the world "love and respect" America and Americans. It does not matter who we elected as our president (Pope Jesus, Saint John, Holy Mary.......) as long as the American Policies, Ideology and Principles towards countries that see America as a "threat" remain the same, and we practice what we tell other nations to do, the respect and love will need to be earned and not just "give" to us because we are AMERICANS!!!

By RJ

It's not stupidity, nor is it guts - it's called MONEY!

By Eleanor Peters

This guy does not need money. Being the son of Gloria Vanderbilt. He would never even have to work in all of his life if he did not want too. Maybe the guy just likes to be a repoorter. Nothing wrong with that because at least he did some thing with his life besides party it away like some rich kids do.

By Anthony and Liz

I am surprised it has not happened a lot more often News media goes into places acting arogantly, sticking cameras in places they do not belong. If you can't take the heat, get outta the kitchen. You will get no sympathy here. I'm one of those "nuts" that thinks the media is responsible for a lot of the garbage we are witnessing today. That and terrible government policies, both Rep. and Dem.

By mike

I'm just glad he didn't get killed. Imagine the endless coverage, eulogizing and calls for an Anderson Cooper holiday. Imagine the crazy appointees and czars they would slip in while nobody was looking. Thank God he's not dead!

By Sue

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Not just a little homophobic, are you sweet Jerry?

By jay

Are you sweet sue

By Jack

All these news crews get in people's faces then get upset when someone attacks them. The local news team here were at a home of a victims family who was trying to mourn and the news team drove all over their lawn, ran after the family with cameras and were still banging on their door after they had gone inside to grieve. My thoughts are they all need a good face punching for invading peoples privacy in the name of "getting the story". I have news for you, everyones life is not your next story.

By Patty

I'm so sick of every time you turn the tv on it's showing that Egypt mess. Get out of their Anderson before you really get hurt. Who wants to see that crap anyway. NOT ME. If we worried about our own here as much as we do other countries it would be nice.

By m113d

what do expect steppimng into a riotous group in the midst of tremendous stress.......a parting of the seas for this fool and his crew, this idiot and the rest of the press need a good stomping once in a while to make them know what reality really is like!

By Bob Smith

He didn't have to be in harms way. Hasn't CNN ever heard about satellite feeds.

By ktmocala

I TOO love it! YOU IDIOT! You now realize what it is like to be in the midst of REAL unrest in the world...and got it square in your face!Back to the drawing room pal. And thank YOUR God you ONLY got a punch in the face!

By johnny

good hold him and I'll punch him.

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