Ocasio-Cortez reveals she's a sexual assault survivor, recounts 'trauma' of Capitol riot: 'I thought

[riversedge]

Source: Washington Post




Ocasio-Cortez reveals she’s a sexual assault survivor, recounts ‘trauma’ of Capitol riot: ‘I thought everything was over’
Ocasio-Cortez recounts trauma of Capitol riot: '‘I thought everything was over’
In an Instagram Live chat on Feb. 1, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) recounted her experience hiding in her office during the Capitol riot. (AOC/Instagram)
By Jaclyn Peiser

Feb. 2, 2021 at 2:49 a.m. CST



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As rioters threatened to breach the Capitol on Jan. 6, a staffer rushed into Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s office and told her to hide. Soon after she ran into a bathroom, she heard a thunderous banging noise outside.

“Where is she? Where is she?” someone yelled, Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said in an Instagram Live chat on Monday night. “And this was the moment where I thought everything was over.”

The person thumping on the doors turned out to be a police officer trying to move her to a secure location, Ocasio-Cortez said, but the harrowing moment was just the first of many as a mob of Trump supporters breached the Capitol.

With around 150,000 viewers watching live, Ocasio-Cortez for the first time recounted in detail what she had earlier described as a near-death experience during the attempted insurrection. The New York Democrat also revealed during the 90-minute discussion that she is a survivor of sexual assault. She compared lawmakers like Republican Sens. Ted Cruz (Tex.) and Josh Hawley (Mo.), whom she accused of trying to play down the seriousness of the riot, to abusers who attempt to silence and undermine victims..............................................







Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/02/01/aoc-instagram-capitol-riot/

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damn. As expected sexual abuse is not taken seriously.




Journalist Michael Tracey’s Tweet sparks controversy for referencing ‘emotional manipulation’ in describing the content of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Instagram Live
Charlotte Clymer
Rainbow flag
@cmclymer
·
7h
I am in no way exaggerating when I say this: if Michael Tracey had been in Rep. AOC's position during the Capitol insurrection, he absolutely would have shat his pantaloons.

Link to tweet

?s=20

Link to tweet

?s=20



@NY1
"The reason I'm getting emotional in this moment is because these folks who tell us to move on, these are the same tactics of abusers," @AOC said about some GOP lawmakers who have suggested it's time to "move on" from the January 6 attack. #NY1Politics

https://twitter.com/i/events/1356486324576940032?s=20

Link to tweet

?s=20




Ocasio-Cortez Says She Is a Survivor of Sexual Assault; Shares In­sur­rection Attack Details for the First Time


https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2021/02/02/aoc-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-capitol-attack-ig-live-instagram-live-sexual-assault-survivor?cid=twitter_NY1


By Gloria Pazmino Washington, D.C.
PUBLISHED 11:14 PM ET Feb. 01, 2021


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On Monday night, speaking to her Instagram followers, she said she feared for her life and believed she would be killed. She described taking shelter in a bathroom when a man screaming "where is she" entered her office.

"I thought I was going to die," Ocasio-Cortez said. "And I had a lot of thoughts, you have a lot of thoughts when you're in a situation like that. I have never been quieter in my entire life."

According to Ocasio-Cortez, the man who entered her office was a Capitol Police officer who then directed her to take shelter in another building along with Rep. Katie Porter of California.

As she spoke about her experience as a survivor of sexual assault, Ocasio-Cortez also addressed comments by some Republican lawmakers who have suggested it's time to "move on" from the January 6 attack. She did not share details of her experience but spoke about the compounding trauma of the events.

"The reason I'm getting emotional in this moment is because these folks who tell us to move on, these are the same tactics of abusers," Ocasio-Cortez. "There's no, something really big happens to you — and then you deal with and you move on, and then something else happens to you, you deal with that."

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[Shell_Seas]

1. I watched her live stream last night.

I could listen to her talk all day. She's very engaging.

[ananda]

2. Moving on here is not an option.

Our democracy and those who try to uphold it
were assaulted.

They must be held accountable!

[Maxheader]

5. Every one of them....

Offer bounties..wingers will turn each other in for a 6 pack...and camels...filterless...

[Mike 03]

9. Agree.

This is an impasse that simply must be met head on with the full force of all statutory and legal remedies.

There is no credible way to slide or slip around it.

[clementine613]

34. Not just the rioters...

... every Rethug throughout the country, everyone who voted for Trump, needs to held accountable with a lot of prison time.

[underpants]

3. I saw clips this morning

[niyad]

4. Why the FUCK is "trauma" repeatedly in quotes??? How f'n dare they imply that it is not???

[flibbitygiblets]

10. I noticed that too. Passively condescending "air quotes" implying she's being hyperbolic.

Adding insult to injury.

[Hekate]

19. Well, you know these hysterical women -- said the "man"

[NealK]

21. Yes, this is unacceptable.

The trauma is damn real.

[stillcool]

6. she's such a bright light...

that needs to shine on.

[Teddy Beer]

7. "That which does Not Kill us makes us Stronger"

In AOC's case, replace Stronger with Iron!

[Cinnamonspice]

8. She is a really strong woman to come forward.

And she's right. Republicans trying to stop the impeachment based on the idea that it's divisive is exactly like telling a battered woman not to send her abuser to jail because it can cause division.

[niyad]

30. Welcome to our DU family.

[58Sunliner]

11. Brave lady. Grateful that she is willing to be honest.

It certainly sheds a light on how far we have to go to take rape seriously, and why so many are reluctant to talk about it. The denial and abuse when survivors come forward can be another trauma all it's own.

[Bradshaw3]

12. Listening to her account made me sad and angry

She has demonized the same way Hillary was, and had to know that the goons breaking into her office were full of media-induced rage toward her. She had no protection; only that knowledge of the venom they had for her, her history of abuse and her own personal power. The latter won out and she was not harmed physically. I would totally understand if she ends up giving up elected politics, or if she stayed in due to her strength and commitment.

I will never forget those who incited these stormtroopers and caused her and so many others such pain.

[CTyankee]

13. I am certain that at least some of the male marauders that day would have at least fantasized

raping Nancy Pelosi before killing her.

[Bradshaw3]

15. Sorry I missed the point

Are you comparing the two in some way?

[CTyankee]

16. This was my thought during the attack. I have no way of proving that what I thought was the

actual case but historians have recounted it. However, sexual assault was, to me, left out of the history books when they discussed conquest of cities.

[Hekate]

20. The term "raping and pillaging" for the conquest of cities & capitals referred to how it really was--

...and how it is to this day.

Look again at the mindless rage on display in every cell-phone vid. Yes, some are berserkergang, but some were very much in control of their own (and others’) rage. And along with killing, rape is an age-old tactic of terrorism.

[DBoon]

14. I predict some republican congress reps will soon mock her for this

They are that disgusting

[still_one]

17. They do it at their own peril, because everyone knows there were people in that mob that

were looking to kill Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Speaker Pelosi, and other Democrats that day at the urging of trump and his thugs

[TryLogic]

26. Attacking and mocking AOC makes me really angry.

[iluvtennis]

18. Saw on Lawrence O'Donnell last night. It was heartbreaking to hear Katie Porter talk about

being in hiding with AOC and how AOC was talking about she'd never get the chance to be a mom.

It was such a blessing that this insurrectionists didn't succeed in the blood bath they wanted.

Stay strong AOC.

[NealK]

22. I suffer from PTSD...

My heart goes out to her.

[bdamomma]

23. All those

who suffered that day my heart goes out to them. That day will never fade away from their minds. All the more reason to get the Qanon sickos out, and those like Cruz, Hawley, Gohmert, Biggs, and the rest of those who incited terror on the Capitol and our way of government.

They need to be held accountable.

[PatrickforO]

24. We're NOT going to move on. We are going to have accountability and justice.

Then we can have peace and unity.

But we're not giving these traitors a pass on their violent insurrection. No F-ing way.

[VA_Jill]

25. Forgive me, you guys here

because I'm about to go on a bit of an anti-male rant. How dare these so-called "men" presume to judge what she went through or what she felt? HOW DARE THEY?

Let me start by saying that I'm a #MeToo so I know a little bit about this. Twice, in fact. One I don't talk about except to a few trusted people but Greta Rideout is my hero. The other I have been quite public about because I physically resisted the assault from a superior and it caused me to lose my job. I didn't even have a chance to state my case but I knew no one would believe me. Both were traumatic. So yeah, I know how it feels. And AOC is also the target of rape and death threats...of course y'all are aware of that? So when the Capitol was invaded and there were mobs of tRumpinistas running around pounding on doors, well, of course she was terrified. At any minute some of these crazed individuals could have broken down the door to the office where she was and acted on those violent fantasies. There very well could have been murders on that day, and she and Nancy Pelosi and Mike Pence were the most likely targets. She knows that and so do they. She is NOT being a "drama queen". It's just that you think you've healed from one trauma and get another one visited on you. Some of these so-called "men" have lived pretty cushy lives but they have plenty of time to tell women how they feel and what they should do. Get back to us when you've been sexually assaulted, and then something else really frightening happens to you, guys. Until then, just STFU and let us talk about it and process it. TYVM.

/rant mode off

[Roc2020]

27. She is traumatized.

She is probably experiencing PTSD. Her life changed that day. Wish her the best and watching to see what she becomes.

[Richard D]

28. It's well worth it . . .

. . . to find the entire 90 minute clip and watch it.

Yes, she and others are quite traumatized.

[Beringia]

31. I'm surprised this wasn't featured more on DU, because I did a search

and this was the 1 post that got decent number of replies.

[COL Mustard]

29. Who Is Michael Tracey?

I haven't heard of him.

[JI7]

33. Some guy that claimed Maxine Waters Assaulted Him

[marlakay]

32. A lot of people think she is overhyping this

But because of who she is she gets a lot of death threats. I am sure she tries to remain strong and not think about it, but what happened at the capital no doubt scared her that they would come looking for her.