Australian reporter re-lives the terrifying moment she was 'grabbed by screwdriver-wielding man shouting Allahu Akbar' while covering George Floyd protests in London on anniversary of terror attack
- The Nine Network's Europe Correspondent Sophie Walsh was allegedly attacked
- Walsh said she was attacked by a man who made stabbing motions towards her
- She was doing a live cross while covering an upcoming George Floyd rally in UK
- Walsh said her cameraman chased the man down before police arrested him
- Channel Nine said Walsh was left 'rattled by the encounter' but 'unharmed'
- It comes two days after a Channel 7 reporter was attacked by police in the U.S.
An Australian reporter who was attacked while covering the George Floyd protests by a man who whispered 'Allahu Akbar' in her ear thought he may have been wearing a suicide vest.
Sophie Walsh, a Europe correspondent for Channel Nine, was live on air from London when she was approached by the screwdriver-wielding man, who made stabbing motions at her stomach after grabbing her from behind.
Her cameraman sprang into action and forced the man off Ms Walsh while calling the police.
The 34-year-old said she couldn't shake the realisation the attack happened on the three-year anniversary of the London Bridge terror attack, which left eight people stabbed to death and another 48 injured.
Ms Walsh wondered whether she was about to die, and said her first thought was, 'Is he wearing a suicide vest?'
Police holding back protesters in Parliament Square in London on June 3 following nine days of riots in the US
Ms Walsh and her cameraman Jason Conduit discussed the incident on the Today show on Thursday morning, some 12 hours after the initial attack.
'Definitely pretty rattled still,' Walsh said. 'I don't think anyone knows the sound of their true scream until they're in a situation like that where they feel like it's a life-or-death scenario.
'He had a hand in his pocket. I thought, "Does he have a knife and will he start stabbing us?"'
In June 2017, three men killed eight people, including two Australians, and injured 48 others in a terror attack on London Bridge.
Police assist an injured man near London Bridge after reports of shots being fired in a 2019 incident. Ms Walsh feared she would be attacked in a similar fashion when she was grabbed from behind while reporting on George Floyd riots
There is currently a heavy police presence in the streets of London as demonstrations over the death of George Floyd gain momentum throughout the city
Ms Walsh is one of a handful of Australian journalists who have found themselves in dangerous situations during riots throughout America and the UK following the death of 46-year-old George Floyd.
Mr Floyd died in the custody of four Minneapolis police officers after he allegedly used a counterfeit $20 note.
Vision circulated of white cop Derek Chauvin kneeling on Mr Floyd's neck for close to nine minutes - even after he passed out. Floyd was later declared dead.
Chauvin has since been charged with second-degree murder and his three colleagues have been charged with aiding and abetting murder following nine days of international outrage and out-of-control riots in America.
Ms Walsh was discussing the protests in London during a cross to the Adelaide Nine News studio when she was approached from behind.
Vision of the alleged attack wasn't captured as the news reel showed protests in France at the time, but the chilling audio was recorded.
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Walsh said her cameraman Jason Conduit chased the man down while 'armed with a light stand' before police apprehended him
Ms Walsh and her cameraman Jason Conduit joined the Today show to discuss the incident on Thursday morning, 12 hours after the initial attack
Black Lives Matter messages were painted on walls throughout London
Ms Walsh could be heard screaming several times before exclaiming 's**t!' while being 'grabbed' by the man.
She was visibly shaken as she recalled the attack to her colleagues moments later.
'Sorry, I just... I just had someone come up and try and... yeah. A man just came up and grabbed me. It's okay... A man just came up and grabbed me, though,' she said.
'He started punching me... sort of stabbing motions... We've had stabbing rampages in London before.'
Walsh said the man was quietly and calmly repeating the words 'Allahu Akbar' in her ear throughout the attack.
'He wasn't shouting it... [but] his calmness was even more disconcerting,' she said.
Walsh was reporting on upcoming George Floyd protests in the UK when she said she was grabbed by a man
Demonstrators smash a police vehicle in Los Angeles on May 30 as they protest the death of George
Mr Conduit chased the man down while 'armed with a light stand', which the journalist described as 'incredibly brave'.
The alleged attacker was then arrested and charged with making threats to kill and possessing a weapon, believed to be a screwdriver.
The Nine Network said Walsh was 'rattled by the encounter' but 'unharmed'.
'Nine News appreciates the enormous pressure our international correspondents are currently under and is offering Sophie all the support she needs,' a Nine statement read.
'Sophie is grateful for the outpouring of support she has received from the public and wishes to reassure our viewers that she is safe and well.'
Protesters on the West Side Highway confronted police officers as they marched towards City Hall during protests for George Floyd on Saturday in Manhattan
Australian reporters targeted while covering George Floyd protests
Ben Avery, a Europe correspondent for Network Nine, crossed live from London to the Today Show when he was approached by several rioters, including one who snatched his microphone.
There is a heavy police presence in the streets of London as demonstrations gain momentum throughout the city.
Footage shows the moment Mr Avery was ushered through a tunnel to 'escape danger', only to be set upon by protesters.
Mr Avery later told the Today Show he was feeling okay following the incident.
'We'd been trying to walk away from the danger here, but it's been following us,' he said.
Footage of the moments leading up to the attack show groups of protesters approaching both he and his cameraman as they back away into a nearby tunnel.
But while their attention was on the group in front of them, they were approached from behind by another man who plucked the microphone from Mr Avery's hand and ran from the scene.
Both the journalist and cameraman then also chose to run from the area, ending the live broadcast.
Meanwhile in Washington DC earlier this week, an officer used his shield to smash Amelia Brace's cameraman, Tim Myers in the middle of her live cross to the Sunrise studio before another officer hit her in the head with his baton.
She also said they were both hit by rubber bullets prior to the altercation with the officer, as police used batons and tear gas to push hundreds of protesters back away from the White House at the time of the attack.
Ms Brace shouted, 'We're media!' as officers targeted her and Mr Myers.
Ms Brace, who is the US correspondent for Channel Seven, said riot police aren't differentiating between protesters and media.
'You heard us yelling that we were the media but they don't care. They're being indiscriminate,' she said.
'I'm a bit sore. I managed to get a rubber bullet to the backside and the cameraman got one to the back of the neck so we'll have a few bruises tomorrow.'
