The journalist Marta Manzano has lived live one of her worst days as a reporter for Espejo Público. And having to cover topics in the middle of the street is sometimes not easy. Last Tuesday, December 26, she and the companion who accompanied her carrying the camera suffered an attempted robbery on Preciados Street in Madrid.
The protagonists of the event were doing a report when a man appeared with the intention of taking some of the material they were using. A fact that occurred when they had the camera on, so they were able to record everything without a problem.
In the video recorded by the camera you can see the thief trying to steal objects from one of the reporters' backpacks, and Marta Manzano confronting him shouting "Call the police. You're live." A performance that she later regrets for fear of what could have happened to her at that moment.
"My partner Laura and I were on camera and he asked us for journalist accreditation. Logically, we told him that we didn't have it because the police can only ask us for that at a specific time," said the journalist. And the man tried at every turn to get his wallet taken away from him.
Seeing that he couldn't get the professionals' belongings, the thief went straight to one of the backpacks equipped with material for the recording. And that's when the struggle began. "He pushed my partner and that was where I tried to ask for help outside, to see if someone could help us, but no one was doing anything there," he continued.
Given the passivity of those present, the reporter had no choice but to go after the man to stop his actions. "That's where I said to myself 'what am I doing because I don't know what he can do to me'. He pushed me and I said 'let's keep calm because it could go further,'" she said.
Five minutes later, the police arrived at the scene. Given the facts, the agents recommended the victims file a complaint. And they had the images that demonstrated what they were saying.
After explaining all this live, Lorena García, presenter of Espejo Público in the absence of Susanna Griso, wanted to make it clear that above all you have to be cautious. "Because that's what the police always recommend. Obviously, keep all your belongings close, don't neglect them, and then try not to confront people who you don't know how they might react," she said.
