Videos reveal full extent of assault on US Congress

Five days after supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol, new videos are revealing the level of violence that left lawmakers cowering inside and police howling for backup.

The footage spilling out on social media shows a policeman dragged out and beaten on the ground; protesters chanting to “hang” Vice- PresidentMike Pence; and a pack of demonstrators appearing to search for high officials inside the building.

The videos show Trump’s supporters as much more aggressive and violent than the footage seen that day. “We came close to half of the House nearly dying on Wednesday,” said Democratic representative Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez, calling it an “insurrection against the United States”.

Violence

Five people did die on Capitol Hill that day: a police officer reportedly hit in the head with a fire extinguisher; a protester shot inside the Congressional main building by police as she tried to break down a door; and three other protesters of “medical emergencies” during the melee.

Another Capitol Police officer reportedly killed himself four days after the attack. It is unknown if the two events were linked.

Police outnumbered

Early videos showed a boisterous crowd press their way past police to barge into the Capitol. But the newest footage shows organised groups among the larger mob, many wearing military assaultstyle uniforms, attacking outnumbered police en masse with flagpoles, batons, hockey sticks and chemical sprays. One person attacked the officers with a crutch.

In another video, an officer cries out in pain when he is crushed between two swinging doors. One protester tried to wrench off the officer’s gas mask. With many of the protesters known to belong to armed militia groups, police and lawmakers saw a serious threat.