Woman browbeats reporter for wearing a mask at Ohio lockdown protest

A woman protesting the Ohio stay-at-home order on Friday berated a local news reporter who was wearing a mask for “terrifying the general public” in video shared on social media.

Adrienne Robbins, a reporter at Ohio station NBC4, was at the Ohio Statehouse on Friday during a protest of the state’s lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

“I asked this woman to respect my space after she was yelling and spitting in my face,” Robbins tweeted. “She said I had no right to social distancing in public and continued to follow me. Complaining about my mask (that is meant to protect her and those around me).”

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) on Thursday extended the state’s stay-at-home order until May 29, although he relaxed some previous restrictions, according to NBC4. Protesters, some of them armed according to local reports, gathered Friday outside the Statehouse to protest the extended order.

“You are terrifying the general public, you realize that,” the unidentified protester says in video taken by Laura Hancock, a reporter for cleveland.com.

I asked this woman to respect my space after she was yelling and spitting in my face. She said i had no right to social distancing in public and continued to follow me. Complaining about my mask (that is meant to protect her and those around me). https://t.co/M7BX888z11

— Adrienne Robbins (@ARobbinsTV) May 1, 2020

“You know that the company that you work for is lying to the American people and you know that what you’re doing is wrong at the end of the day,” she says in the video.

The Hill has reached out to NBC4 for comment.

Hancock reported the woman was “bullying” Robbins.

Who is this woman? She’s bullying @ARobbinsTV pic.twitter.com/HDE79iWh2f

— Laura Hancock (@laurahancock) May 1, 2020

Colleen Marshall, an anchor at NBC4, weighed in with support in another tweet.

“This is not OK. One of our reporters, trying to do her job and maintain social distancing, confronted by a protester at the Statehouse,” she tweeted, praising Robbins for “staying calm.”

This is not OK. One of our reporters, trying to do her job and maintain social distancing, confronted by a protester at the Statehouse. Proud of @ARobbinsTV for staying calm. You can judge the other person in this video. #NBC4 #JournalismMatters https://t.co/hh2gp0R2Vb

— Colleen Marshall (@ColleenNBC4) May 1, 2020