On Jan. 6, when insurrectionists determined to interfere with the certification of President Joe Biden’s election victory stormed the U.S. Capitol, Christopher Lee—who was on assignment for TIME—was one of a small handful of photojournalists to find their way inside. Lee has covered conflicts in the Middle East and central Asia, but, when he spoke to TIME after that day, he said it felt like one of the most dangerous moments of his career. Inside the Capitol, he says, a group of insurrectionists pulled down his N95 mask, called him part of the “fake news” media and chased him down a hallway.