Conservative Reporter Hospitalized After Being Attacked By Left-Wing Protesters
Frank Scales, a conservative journalist known for his man on the street interviews in Philadelphia, was hospitalized on Saturday after he was sprayed with an unknown substance while covering anti-ICE protests in Center City.
Scales was repeatedly threatened while attempting to interview protesters while they gathered near City Hall on Friday night. One individual — a noticeably short man who identified himself as “Big John” — then told Scales he would assault him if he didn’t “roll out.”
“Are you threatening me?” Scales responded, at which point “Big John” replied with, “absolutely” as he rolled a blunt in public. “Some of us don’t give a f*** about laws, rules, police, jail,” Big John ranted, adding that he “doesn’t give a f***” about jail.”
“You think I ain’t been to jail before? You think I won’t go again? I’d die for my causes dog, you better recognize that sh** right now,” he continued to rant.
A group of protesters in Philadelphia marched in opposition of ICE and in support of the woman who was fatally shot in Minnesota while obstructing an ICE operation. My questions were met with direct threats of violence by a short man named “Big John” who was rolling a blunt,… pic.twitter.com/2qCpjebryb
— SurgePhilly (@Surge_Philly) January 10, 2026
Scales returned on Saturday morning after a sizable crowd of anti-ICE protesters once again gathered at City Hall. The protesters then made their way to a nearby federal prison facility, where they called for the release of several prisoners.
A number of protesters noted that they were from nearby New Jersey when asked where they were from.
In a follow-up video, Scales informed viewers that he was on his way to a local hospital after being sprayed by a protester with an unknown substance. “So we just got, we were at the protest and somebody maced us. Somebody did something. So I gotta go get my eyes checked and rinsed out, but you know, we got a ton of content, so stay tuned. And that’s really it,” he said.
Scales explained that he was advised to seek medical attention since the substance was unknown. They’re saying that we don’t know if there’s bleach in it. We don’t know what they put in the solution that they sprayed at me. So that’s why I got to go, but I’m feeling better. And you know, first time getting maced, you know, every journalist has to go through it at some point, I guess,” the added while riding in an ambulance.
UPDATE: En route to hospital after being MACED at an Anti-Ice protest in Philadelphia. pic.twitter.com/MZOVzRiO7z
— SurgePhilly (@Surge_Philly) January 10, 2026
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