'Murder the media': Journalists threatened, equipment smashed as pro-Trump mob storms Capitol Hill

The media was one of the targets of the violent mob of Donald Trump supporters who stormed Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on Wednesday. One woman was killed in the violence that followed as the mob clashed with the police.

The New York Times reported that journalists' cameras were smashed, others were threatened, and the words "Murder the Media" were scratched onto a door. A CBS News journalist told NYT the mob was "absolutely, ferociously angry at the media".

On Twitter, journalists reported that equipment was "seized" from media crews covering the violence.

Video footage of the mob showed the equipment being smashed while Trump supporters said the media was the "enemy of the people".

Journalists also reported that the mob was "charging" towards the media. A Buzzfeed News reporter tweeted that the Trump supporters "made a noose" from a camera cord and hung it from a tree.

The Committee to Protect Journalists swiftly issued a statement condemning the attack, both on journalists and lawmakers. Executive director Joel Simon said: "Journalists and news crews covering these events, which are of paramount public interest, must be able to do so freely and safely, with the support and protection of law enforcement. Intimidation and vandalism have already been carried out by violent protesters and there is a real possibility of escalating attacks on the media. We urge journalists and news organisations to take every precaution."