Amid her recollection of the events that transpired in the Capitol Hill Riot, New York's 14th Congressional District Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez revealed that she was a survivor of sexual assault.
AOC shared her experience while her voice was shaking with emotion. She stated that she has not told many people about the fact that she was a sexual assault survivor, however, with the recent traumatic events it came back to her.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 31, shared her traumatic experience during the Capitol Hill siege in a live-streamed video via Instagram.
The congresswoman also said that she feared for her life when the mob forced their way into the Capitol on January 6. She described how she and the others were forced to hide and take shelter when the rioters stormed Capitol Hill.
She also narrated that there was a particular time during the siege that she was hiding inside the bathroom of her office while rioters banged on the door and kept yelling, looking for her.
During that time, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said that she thought everything was over and that she was going to die at that point.
Still teary-eyed, the congresswoman said that despite the fear for her life, she felt that things will turn out okay if this was truly meant to be her journey. She also said that if that was the end she has already fulfilled her purpose, ABC News reported.
AOC also added that after some time she realized that the man who was banging at her door was a Capitol police officer. She also described that the man was looking at her with hostility.
Moreover, AOC said that later that day, the fear for her life came back as she was barricaded inside California Rep. Katie Porter's office, Fox News reported.
In addition, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also said that they felt completely unsafe during the incident and that they felt that they were losing all sense of time.
The Capitol Hill Riot
The riot on Capitol Hill happened after supporters of President Donald Trump gathered in Washington DC in order to stop Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 Presidential election.
It can be recalled that Trump pledged to never concede despite the electoral college voting, for now-President Joe Biden. Some reports also noted that Trump's continuous claims of election fraud pushed his supporters to storm the Capitol and stop the certification.
During the attack, it took hours for authorities to secure the area from the rioters, even losing one police officer amid the rampage.
Meanwhile, according to BBC, AOC stated that people who encourage others to move on from the events of January 6 are using the tactics that are used by abusers.
According to her, these people are trying to tell those who experienced the trauma to forget about it and insist that it is no big deal.
However, she stressed that people cannot heal as long as those who caused the trauma would be held accountable. She also called out those who are telling people to move on, saying that they are only doing so at their own convenience.
"Those are the same tactics of that man who touched you inappropriately at work, telling you to move on," Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said.
