image copyrightMike Theiler / Reuters
As Trump supporters surged past barricades and into the US Capitol,news agency photographers – who were there to document the vote certifying Joe Biden’s election win – captured extraordinary scenes.
The last time government buildings were breached in Washington was in 1814 and the invaders were British soldiers.
But in 2021 a Trump supporter, carrying the Confederate flag, is walking freely through the halls near the entrance to the Senate, encountering little resistance.
The Confederacy was the group of southern states that fought to keep slavery during the US Civil War. In this image, the oil paintings of political figures in the background emphasise this imagery of the past.
There have been renewed calls for the Confederate flag to be banned across the US following the anti-racism protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd, a black man.
However Mr Trump has defended use of the flag, calling it a matter of free speech.
image copyrightWin McNamee / Getty Images
One man in a Trump beanie gives a nonchalant wave as he carries a podium bearing the seal of the Speaker of the House.
On any other day – walking between the red guide ropes, tagging along at the back of the line – he could be one of the many visitors on a guided-tour to view the Crypt, the Statuary Hall and the Rotunda.
However the tour generally does not include visiting the Senate and the House Galleries and the gift shop does not sell official plinths.
This man certainly appears to be enjoying his visit, posing with a smile in front of a painting depicting the surrender of General Burgoyne in the war of independence.
The image stands out as a pose familiar in thousands of tourist snaps, but its very familiarity is in sharp contrast to the extraordinary gravity of what’s occurring.
image copyrightWin McNamee / Getty Images
Another man, bearded, bare chested and tattooed, wears a fur hat with horns. His face appears painted for battle and he is shouting as he makes his way to the Senate Chamber.
He cuts a striking figure, reminiscent of Mel Gibson’s Braveheart, but with his loudhailer evoking an organiser at a music festival and his attire drawing comparisons with that of British musician Jamiroquai.
The portrait stands out – his incongruous garments set him apart from other protesters wearing black hoodies who stand by taking selfies. He has come to be photographed by others.
The apparent lack of a security presence is in sharp contrast to other Washington protests where there is a highly visible presence of heavily armed security forces protecting US institutions.
image copyrightSAUL LOEB / AFP
Another Trump supporter, identified as Richard Barnett, sits with one boot disrespectfully on a desk that is at the very centre of power in Congress. It is in the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
In the scene, unimaginable days earlier, Barnett in his baseball cap and checked shirt resembles a raconteur regaling friends with tales of his exploits.
The image went viral as did pictures of the notes he and others left on Ms Pelosi’s desk.
image copyrightDrew Angerer / Getty Images
This dramatic image shows how the formal proceedings came to a violent halt as Capitol police officers drew their guns on doors being attacked by protesters intent on entering the House Chamber.
Many commentators asked if they were watching a coup unfold as doors were barricaded and firearms brandished.
The composition is reminiscent of a scene in a Hollywood Western, the lawmen bracing for the doors to be breached.
US President-elect Joe Biden made an impassioned TV address describing the scenes as “an assault on democracy” – this chilling picture encapsulates what he meant.
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Capitol riot: Five startling images from the siege
