Mexican media say Vancouver men accosted journalist on beach

Two tourists who attacked a journalist reporting live from a Puerto Vallarta beach have been identified by Mexican media as Vancouver residents.

On Monday, Doraliz Terrón of Paralelo Informativo was confronted by the pair while filming a segment on vacationers ignoring stay-athome orders to sunbathe at closed beaches. “You can’t film us,” the first man said, swearing at the reporter and attempting to wrestle her phone away. “You need our permission and we don’t give you permission. Get out of here.”

A second man joined the confrontation, asking, “How much are you going to pay us for this?” before swearing, shouting sexist slurs and making threatening gestures at Terrón. Beaches in Mexico are public property, and permission is not needed to take footage of people in public spaces.

Furthermore, beaches are closed as local officials work to contain the spread of COVID19 in the state of Jalisco, where there have been 135 confirmed cases and seven deaths.

The incident left Terrón with bruises on her left arm and a swollen wrist. Video of the ugly scene at Los Muertos beach has gone viral in Mexico, and both the American and Canadian ambassadors to the country have condemned the behaviour of the two men.

“Completely unacceptable,” said Graeme C. Clark, the Canadian ambassador-designate to Mexico, offering an apology if the pair are Canadian. According to the region’s daily newspaper, they are. The Puerto Vallarta Daily News has reported that men shouting “we don’t want you here” at a local reporter on live television are from Vancouver.

It gave their names, but Postmedia has not been able to independently verify them.