GB News reporter Ben Leo found himself trapped behind barricades after being caught up in a crowd of Mexicans trying to disrupt the England team's sleep ahead of their World Cup round of 16 match. The journalist was reporting live from Mexico City, where the players are staying, when chaos erupted.
As Leo spoke to Breakfast presenters Anne Diamond and Stephen Dixon in London, a disturbance began with a band drumming loudly and flare guns being set off. Leo initially joked: "I'll ask them to stop, shall I? I'll tell them Harry Kane needs his sleep." He tried to communicate with the crowd, but the language barrier and noise made it difficult as the group grew rowdier.
Police Move Barricades but Refuse Arrests
Leo then approached police, who admitted they would not arrest the protesters but would move the barricades back so they were not as close to the hotel. In a further twist, Leo found himself stuck on the wrong side of the barricades and unable to leave for the night.
"I don't know if I'm still on air," he admitted as he tried to talk to the police chief. "The police are now congregating here. They say they can't arrest them, but they'll be moving the barricade further up here. There's a massive crowd gathering behind us. I'm going to move myself away, so I don't get mobbed by the Mexicans. This is extraordinary, extraordinary scenes. Just when I said to you, it's all safe and well ... Obviously, this came as a surprise."
Reporter Trapped for the Night
Leo tried to leave the area, explaining to police that he was from the English media, but they refused to let him pass. "We can't cross. We're stuck here all night," he said. "Extraordinary scenes. Just when I was telling you, it was all peaceful, and Harry Kane was sleeping. Now we have a massive band, players, and the police are pushing the barricade back. I'll throw it back to you."
Back in the studio, Dixon admitted it had become "concerning," saying: "When [he] first went down there, and it seemed a bit of fun – obviously they're doing what they're doing, but it was all quite jovial. It's very quickly turned into an awful lot of people, and then suddenly it gets a bit concerning, doesn't it? I tell you what, I wouldn't mess with those police because [it's a] different system in places like Mexico. They'll be federales, and you do not mess with the federales. I used to spend quite a lot of time with friends that live in Mexico, and you know the local police, all the rest of it is one thing. The federales, you do not mess."
Diamond added: "And as Ben was very aware, the more he gets in with the crowd, the more he becomes one of the crowd, rather than a reporter who didn't really want to be in the middle of it."
