San Francisco, USA

A team of foreign journalists was robbed at gunpoint while working in San Francisco, dealing a huge blow to the city’s efforts to revamp its reputation ahead of a major summit of Asia-Pacific nations in the US.

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Czech TV journalist Bohumil Vostal was capturing San Francisco’s iconic City Lights bookstore when he and his team were robbed by three armed, masked assailants.

“They were heading at my cameraman, aiming a gun at his stomach, and one at my head,” Vostal said in an interview Monday.

The robbers fled in the dark, taking away their equipment worth $18,000 and recorded content from the last day.

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Efforts to improve reputation go down the drain

San Francisco, home to the tech mecca Silicon Valley, has of late attracted negative news coverage due to its unruly shoplifters, drug markets and increasing crime. 

But now the city has gathered international spotlight due to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, an event drawing some of the world’s most powerful leaders to downtown and Nob Hill. This includes a planned, much-anticipated summit of US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

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Watch: US Defence Secretary LLoyd Austin arrives in Seoul

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In the days leading to the summit, officials here made efforts to clean up the streets and crack down on crime. 

Now, the robbery incident is sure to shift the spotlight to the widespread crime menace in the California city.

“I’m one of those many people who used to read Jack Kerouac’s ‘On the Road,’ and I was so much looking forward to visit your city,” Vostal said, recalling how magical the day of filming had been.

Police action

Although police arrived within minutes after they dialled 911, the officials had little to offer except sympathy. 

The response they got from locals, however, was overwhelming. 

“All the people of San Francisco are almost blaming themselves, like they are so sorry for something they didn’t do,” Vostal said. 

Also read: Biden will push China to resume military ties with US at summit with Xi, official says

Police said they were investigating the case and offering support to the Czech journalists.

A spokesperson from Mayor London Breed’s office said she will help replace the equipment of the journalists. Her spokesperson, Jeff Cretan, said that law enforcement is aggressively cracking down on robberies and other crimes.

(With inputs from agencies)