A Czech news crew was robbed in San Francisco shortly after the city was cleaned up ahead of Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping's arrival for the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Monday.
According to the Chronicle, "Czech TV journalist Bohumil Vostal was capturing what he thought would be a majestic shot — San Francisco's iconic City Lights bookstore, steeped in the gathering dusk — when three masked assailants approached with guns pointed."
After the holdup, the three suspects made away with $18,000 worth of equipment as well as footage from the day.
"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 told the Chronicle.
On Monday, Mayor London Breed met with the news crew at City Hall, assuring them that the city would replace their equipment.
Local Fox News station KTVU, who also covered the story, noted that "television stations often send armed guards with reporters and photographers as a security measure" in the Bay Area.
Approximately 20,000 people are expected to attend the summit, ranging from journalists to world leaders. President Joe Biden and Xi will hold their first meeting in over a year there.