The incident happened when CNN’s Nick Valencia was covering the massive protests over the death of George Floyd raging through Atlanta. Video of the live coverage starts with police in full riot gear holding a line and containing a mob of protesters.
“Some people are laughing, some people are videotaping,”the reporter is heard saying, at which point the explosive blows up at the doorstep.
“Nick, you alright? Are you OK, guys?” a CNN host asks repeatedly as chaos breaks out inside. Valencia described the explosive as a “firecracker”shortly after the live report was interrupted.
The CNN office in Atlanta was surrounded by scores of demonstrators earlier Friday, who vandalized the main entrance and set a police car on fire.
A number of armored vehicles and additional police reinforcements were brought in to back up the heavy police presence as the standoff continued outside the building, with dozens of heavily equipped officers protecting the entrance of the headquarters.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp called in National Guard units and declared an emergency to quell the riots in Atlanta.