Independent journalist assaulted at Seattle protest

Reporter Cam Higby was attacked while documenting an anti-deportation protest in Seattle, Washington, on June 14, 2025.

The protest was one of hundreds of “No Kings” demonstrations held nationwide to counter a military parade attended by President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., marking the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.

Higby, a journalist and personality for the conservative digital news media and commentary site Today Is America, told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker that he generally does not wear press identification or badges while covering protests to avoid becoming a target.

“It’s dangerous,” said Higby, who is an outspoken critic of the political group known as antifa. “I’ve been attacked a lot in the past, and I found that the best way to avoid violence against me is to blend in.”

About 100 protesters had gathered that night outside Seattle’s Henry M. Jackson Federal Building, rallying against Trump’s immigration policies. Although Higby didn’t wear any press markings, he was live-posting from the scene, and he believes that his attackers recognized him from social media.

At one point in the night, Higby was sitting on the ground, leaning against a wall, when he heard someone say, “Cameron, it’s time for you to leave,” according to a Seattle Police Department report.

Higby said he recognized the voice as someone he knew from a previous protest who had sent him a thinly veiled threat on Instagram about a week earlier. Before he could get to his feet, three men grabbed him by the neck, pinned him down and began punching him in the head. Higby, dazed, pepper-sprayed the man punching him. The incident was captured on video by a bystander and later posted to social media.

One of the blows was strong enough to dent Higby’s helmet. Another dislodged a filter from his gas mask. Based on the sound of the attacker’s fist hitting the helmet and photos of his fists, police said they believe he was wearing sap gloves, weighted knuckle gloves usually filled with metal pieces.

The next morning, Higby woke up with a severe bloody nose that had soaked through his sheets.

“My arms and my face were covered in blood,” he said.

The attack left him with debilitating headaches, flashing light visuals, dizziness, and nausea. Doctors diagnosed him with a mild to moderate concussion.

Jeremy Lawson, identified through videos posted on social media, has been charged with one count of third-degree assault in connection with the attack. According to the charging document, Lawson texted Higby after the assault, implying he knew where Higby lived. Soon after, Higby’s address and details about his family were posted online.

Higby obtained a temporary protection order on July 3. Lawson was arrested July 16 and remains in custody on $75,000 bond.

Though the experience has shaken him and his sense of safety, Higby said he hasn’t stopped documenting protests. He now takes extra precautions: staying at the edge of crowds, concealing his identity more carefully, and avoiding live coverage or recording.

“If I teach them that all you have to do is beat the journalist up and they won’t show their face again, that’s going to become learned behavior,” he said. “I’m not going to let them think that I’m intimidated by them.”

This isn’t the first time Higby has faced risks while reporting.

On June 9, just days before the Seattle attack, Higby was detained in a police kettle while covering an anti-deportation protest in downtown Los Angeles, California. In 2024, he was pepper-sprayed while documenting clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrators and shoved at a UCLA student protest.