WASHINGTON, D.C. – As he boarded a bus to the nation’s capital Tuesday evening, photojournalist Joseph Prezioso was prepared.
Equipped with his usual precautionary gear of a gas mask and bulletproof vest, the Saugus native’s assignment was simple: Document the trip of a group of North Shore Trump supporters as they make their way from Boston to the president’s Stop the Steal rally in Washington, D.C. to protest the results of the Nov. 3 election.
By the end of the day Wednesday, however, Prezioso, a correspondent with Agence France-Presse, knew he’d witnessed a monumental moment in United States history after hundreds of pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol, raiding the building and forcing lawmakers in the House and Senate to evacuate to an undisclosed location for safety.
“I found out about a group that was going down to D.C. to take part in the rallies,” Prezioso said. “All I knew was that they wanted to go to the Stop the Steal rally, and I figured 600 or so people spending $20,000 to go, that was the story.”
Prezioso and a small crew of fellow photojournalists spent the morning photographing scenes from the rally before the large crowd turned its sights on the Capitol, marching shoulder to shoulder toward the building down the streets of D.C.
What erupted shortly after, he said, was sheer chaos.
“You could hear some people saying ‘are you really going to go inside the Capitol?’ And people would respond, ‘well if other people go in, I’ll follow them, but I won’t be the first one,’” he said. “Then that group started sneaking through the crowd to get closer and closer to the doorway where the scaffolding was. I don’t know who threw the first smoke bombs or flash bangs. All I know is once the booms started going off, people started yelling and screaming, and you could hear the cops firing non-lethal weapons from the top as people tried to raid the door under the scaffolding and push their way in.”
The veteran journalist has covered countless demonstrations throughout his career, including those held across the country this summer following the May 25 death of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer, but said Wednesday’s scene at the Capitol was unlike any he’d ever witnessed.
“I’m never going to forget the people,” Prezioso said. “I guess the closest I can describe what I saw (is) if you take the opening scene from ‘Saving Private Ryan’ … the people yelling and screaming. These grown men, these guys dressed in military (gear), had been chemically hit, and they were screaming and falling down crying.”
As soon as he heard the first smoke bomb explode, Prezioso, aware of the debilitating effects of law enforcement chemicals, said he dropped to the ground and pulled out his gas mask and ballistic helmet.
Despite the bedlam around him, he said his focus remained on doing his job.
“All I can do is be prepared with my camera to show the world what’s happening and be impartial,” he said. “I have to cover everything equally. That’s all I can do. If I throw emotions into what I’m doing, I’m not going to be able to work.”
Although he hasn’t suffered any lasting physical or emotional effects from the day (besides a sore back), Prezioso said the scenes he witnessed and the fear he felt in that moment will stick with him for years to come.
“I saw part of history. It’s intense,” he said. “It’s a sad day in American history. I think Chuck Schumer said it this morning: it will be added to the list of days that will live in infamy. The storming of the U.S. Capitol building, whether you think it was right or wrong, is going to stand out in American history as the day the Capitol was raided.”
He later added: “When you wake up in a hotel room and you’re alone the next day and you’re seeing your photos used all over the world, it’s definitely a surreal feeling.
“I have to keep myself separated and just do my job. If I bring emotions into what I’m shooting, I’m not being fair to the world.”
Elyse Carmosino can be reached at [email protected].