Independent journalists Nick Sortor and Karlyn Borysenko were in serious danger on Saturday night after being confronted, threatened with death, and having their vehicle attacked with vomit by Black Lives Matter rioters in a self-declared "autonomous zone" that has taken over several blocks of downtown Madison, Wisconsin.

The zone, known as the "Corey Ruiz Autonomous Zone" or "CRAZ," was formed in the days following 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 built barricades of pallets, furniture, and spike strips, blocked streets, set up tents, and effectively seized control of the area around Williamson and Baldwin streets, using the playbook from Seattle's 2020 CHOP/CHAZ.

Sortor, who was driving with Borysenko in the passenger seat, stopped near the encampment and stepped out of the vehicle in an attempt to make jokes and lighten the mood.

Instead, activists surrounded him, blocked him from returning to his car, swung a pole at him, sprayed vomit on him and his vehicle, damaged the left front quarter panel, and repeatedly threatened to kill him.

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