[We reviewed hundreds of videos and photos posted online by witnesses to assess whether the Hong Kong police used excessive force in June against protesters.]

Several protesters said that while they did not personally plan to break into the complex, they supported those on the front lines who did. Peaceful protest methods were ineffective, they said, and they increasingly felt open to a more confrontational approach if it would help to protect Hong Kong’s freedom and relative independence from Beijing.

“We have been too peaceful for the past few times, so the police think we are easily bullied,” said Natalie Fung, 28, who was outside the legislative complex supporting the protesters with food and drinks. “The younger people are risking their safety and their futures for us.”

Not all protesters supported the handful who attacked the Legislative Council. Several democratic lawmakers tried to stop the protesters by positioning themselves between the demonstrators and the building, even physically blocking the makeshift battering rams at times — but were eventually pushed aside.

Claudia Mo, who was among the pro-democracy legislators attempting to stop the protesters, said she thought the violence was an expression of how desperate the younger protesters had become in the face of a government that they thought had not done enough.

“I’m extremely worried because the young really seem like they have nothing to lose, when they have a lot to lose,” Ms. Mo said. “It’s their Hong Kong they’re fighting for. It’s their future and they need to take their future into account.”