"Is this how I die?" (CNN photojournalist who was present during insurrection)

[Nevilledog]

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Kasie Hunt
@kasie
“Would they kill me? What does it feel like to be beaten and trampled? What does it feel like to have a bullet go through my head? I wrestle with this in my sleep. Sometimes I dream my children are with me and I have to protect them.”

Opinion: Is this how I die?
On January 6, CNN photojournalist Joshua Replogle went to work at the US Capitol expecting to cover the certification of Joe Biden's election as president. Instead, he ended up inside the news story,...
cnn.com
8:19 AM · Feb 8, 2021

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/08/opinions/photojournalist-capitol-riot-replogle/index.html

(CNN)Is this how I die?

I am perfectly still. I can't make a sound. My back is in spasm. I huddle with three others behind a bathroom door. Locked inside a Capitol office suite. We are hiding from the source of the roar filtering through the walls. The voices of thousands who want to hurt me.

As a journalist, I've been behind the lens for too many mass casualty events. Am I going to be in one now? Sitting on the floor with my back leaning against the toilet, tile cool through my clothes. Lights are switched off and there are blinds on the window, but even in the cold, overcast day it's bright enough to see.

A colleague gingerly leans over the sill to catch a glimpse of the mob three floors down on the Capitol plaza. He twists the blinds shut with a delicate touch. Quietly. Gasps from a colleague shift my attention. She presses three fingers to her forehead, eyes squeezing shut, a grimace on her face. Crying, but no tears.

Slam. Slam. "Let's f---ing do this"! They're at the door. This. Is. It.

The walls don't feel like protection. They might as well be made of paper. It sounds like these people are in the room with us. They scream and curse. It's deafening. We hear people trying to burst through the door and enter the office suite.

*snip*

[niyad]

1. There are no words.

[magicarpet]

2. Fuhrer trDump's Banana Republic in full view.

[mcar]

3. Chilling

[MontanaMama]

4. I'm sorry she had to feel this and

I’m relieved to see and hear these stories. Telling the truth about what happened will allow healing to begin for them personally.

Not comparing experiences at all but after the insurrection I made the choice to take down all reference to my political beliefs in my office at work. My family owns a small business and my office is private but customers do sometimes end up in my space. Many of our customers are RWNJ’s on steroids. Their social media blows my mind. I don’t look at it often because it’s shocking but occasionally they will tag us using our product and I need to respond. The day after the insurrection, a customer called to place an order and I made the error of asking him how he was...he said “I’d be a whole lot better if your side had gotten it done at the capitol yesterday”. I was nonplussed. I almost couldn’t catch my breath. Last summer, one of our MAGAt customers called our shop and left a voicemail where she screamed that they would no longer do business with liberals...this was after she had been in my office and seen my KAMALA poster, women’s march memorabilia and DemocraticUnderground bumper sticker. I have no doubt that some of these people are unhinged enough to hurt me, my business or my family. They don’t see us as human.

[Nevilledog]

5. We shouldn't have to hide our beliefs, but it's become necessary for a lot of us.

I'm sorry you have to deal with that.......ever.

[BobTheSubgenius]

6. That was harder to read than I had expected.

Some friends and I went to Gastown - a gentrified part of the oldest section of Vancouver - expecting a demonstration, more along the lines of the Merry Pranksters thank the SDS. (Hey, it was 1971) Somehow, we knew enough to stay on the periphery and watch, which turned out to be a good move.

It was shocking how quickly a mildly frenetic, but overall fun vibe can be overwhelmed by a phalanx of riot police, and cops on horses with big clubs. Not the same thing at all as this article describes, but the terror is familiar.

[ffr]

7. As soon as Fox Entertainment and RW media are financially crippled for dehumanizing

everyone they disagree with, then unfortunately, this will continue. So long as there are no consequences to rich corporations to dog-whistle that liberals should be shot on live TV and that's okay, because liberals are less than human. Expect that lives will be put in jeopardy for no other good reason than the RW has created the narrative that they are the rightful owners of a master class of human.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

8. Line up these tortured souls...

and have them testify. Let them tell their stories. One by one slowly, clearly, passionately.
Ask them questions on how their life has changed unnecessarily; changed only because of trump’s inability to accept reality.

[pandr32]

9. What has become of us?

So many suffer such terror at the hands of other Americans. Our children are subjected to this as well, and in the end it is downplayed or branded 'fake'.

[crickets]

10. What a horrifying experience.

I still can't get quite get my head and heart around what happened. The enormity of it all, and that there are Repubs still trying the "let's just move on" strategy is beyond unreal.

It did happen. We did have an attempted coup, and until we unpack all of the details and pursue those responsible, there will be no "moving on."

[louis-t]

11. They should be collecting depositions from each of these people.

And from the losers that claim drumpf told them to storm the Capitol.

[Cetacea]

12. +1000

Let's hope they have.