The US Capitol Police handle dozens of protests and demonstrations and events each year. They’re as common “as stoplights in big cities,” one officer said. They know how to plan, staff and work these events. They’ve handled mass arrest situations and they’ve kept the Capitol complex secure even after protesters crossed their lines — such as when more than 70 people were arrested inside two Senate buildings during the first day of confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

“There was no planning. No pre-planning. I just don’t understand. For the life of me, why not have the same precautions as we did with other demonstrations?” one officer said. “Our management was completely … nobody knew what the hell to do. Nobody was giving direction on what to do.”

“I feel betrayed,” another officer said. “They didn’t even put us in a position to be successful.”