WATCH: Madison Rioters Threaten to Kill Nick Sortor, Spray His Car With Vomit

Adriana Stone 0 2 min read

VIDEO: Madison Rioters Threatened Nick Sortor and Attacked His Car With Vomit

Independent journalists Nick Sortor and Karlyn Borysenko say they faced a frightening confrontation Saturday night while driving past a self-declared autonomous zone in downtown Madison, Wisconsin.

The pair said protesters surrounded their vehicle, blocked Sortor from getting back inside, threatened to kill him, and sprayed vomit on both him and the car.

The encampment is known as the “Corey Ruiz Autonomous Zone,” or “CRAZ.” It reportedly formed after the July 22 police shooting of Corey Ruiz, an armed serial felon who was killed while allegedly attacking an officer with a knife.

Protesters have reportedly used pallets, furniture, tents, barricades, and spike strips to block streets around Williamson and Baldwin streets. The setup has drawn comparisons to Seattle’s CHOP and CHAZ zones from 2020.

Sortor was driving, with Borysenko in the passenger seat, when he stopped near the encampment. He got out and tried to use humor to ease the tension.

Instead, the crowd reportedly closed in around him. According to the account, one person swung a pole, while others sprayed vomit on Sortor and his vehicle. The car’s left front quarter panel was also damaged.

One person can be heard warning Sortor, “hurry up and leave before your life ends out here” and saying “there’s a whole team of us.”

Sortor later shared video of the damage and the confrontation.

Borysenko recorded the encounter from the passenger seat. She had a hood over her head as the situation grew more hostile.

https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/2083859314402382147

She said the woman seen swinging the pole had acted aggressively toward her earlier that day. Borysenko also said the attackers did not appear to recognize either journalist, raising concerns that other people could face similar treatment.

“this could happen to anyone,” Borysenko said.

After escaping the area, Sortor called 911. Both journalists praised the Madison police officers who responded, describing them as professional and helpful.

In a follow-up post, Borysenko alleged that some people in the encampment were involved in drug activity and claimed homeless individuals were being used as enforcers.

“BTW all of those people are likely drug dealers who are selling drugs out of that car, or the people they are selling the drugs too,” she wrote.

“The leftists are giving the homeless people in that encampment drugs to use them as their security attack dogs.”

Speaking to The Gateway Pundit, Borysenko described the incident as terrifying.

“Last night, we drove by the autonomous zone in Madison. Nick got out of the car to talk to the activists and cracked a few jokes. They got aggressive and violent and threatened multiple times to destroy the car and kill him. It was absolutely terrifying. One of the same people had been aggressive towards me in the autonomous zone earlier in the day. Hopefully the city will allow the cops to go and arrest the people who did this.”

Sortor called for federal involvement, arguing that violent groups should not be allowed to control city blocks or restrict access to public streets.

Local reporting cited in the account said the zone has disrupted nearby businesses, blocked emergency access, and drawn criticism from Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway. Despite those concerns, the encampment reportedly remained in place.

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