Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke on Monday in an emotional video about the US Capitol insurrection and how what she went through was affected by her experience as a sexual assault survivor.
In a remarkably outspoken account to an American lawmaker, Ocasio-Cortez reported hiding while protesters climbed the Capitol on January 6, hiding in a bathroom in his office while listening to knocking on the walls and a man shouting: “Where is she ? Where is she? “She feared for her life, she told an Instagram Live audience of more than 150,000 people.
“I thought I was going to die,” she said. “And I had a lot of thoughts. I was thinking that if this is the plan for me, people will be able to take over from here. “
In the video, Ocasio-Cortez expressed frustration at being asked to “move on” after the attack, comparing it to the refrain heard by many sexual assault survivors. “These people tell us to move on, that it’s not a big deal, that we should forget what happened, even telling us that we should apologize – these are the same tactics as abusers,” said Ocasio-Cortez.
“I am a survivor of sexual assault,” she added. “And I haven’t said that to many people in my life. But when we go through a trauma, the trauma accumulates. “
Ocasio-Cortez, who won re-election in November in New York’s 14th congressional district, said in a video last month that he feared for his life during the attack on the Capitol.
On Monday, she said she had been concerned about the security situation for days, having been warned of possible violence by several people, including other lawmakers.
The incident in her office occurred after she returned from receiving the Covid-19 vaccine, she said.
“I immediately realized that I shouldn’t have gone into the bathroom. I should have been in the closet, ”she said. “Then I heard that whoever was trying to get in came into my office. I know it’s too late. “
She said she heard screams. “It was at that moment that I thought it was over. I thought I was going to die. “
The congresswoman wiped her tears as she continued. “I start looking through the door hinge to see if I can see anything. I see this white man in a black cap and I shout again, ”she said. “I have never been so quiet in my life.”
An employee ended up saying it was safe to leave the bathroom where she was hiding, and a Capitol police officer was present in her office. She and her team had left the office, she recalls, and finally found shelter in the offices of California representative Katie Porter.
Ocasio-Cortez, who is Latin, had previously said that his fears had increased because there were white supremacists and other extremists participating in the predominantly white crowd.
The second-term representative, whose New York district covers part of Queens and the Bronx, is among the most prominent elected officials on the political left and a lightning rod to the right and far right.
She strongly condemned Donald Trump for inciting the riots, as well as members of his administration who did not invoke the 25th amendment to remove him from office, and lawmakers who voted to overturn the election results.