A lot of people loyal to President Trump stormed the Capitol on Wednesday and halted the election counting by Congress to confirm the victory of President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. when police called on lawmakers on a scene of the Violence and chaos evacuated from the building and disruptions that shook the very core of American democracy.
Around 2:15 p.m., when the House and Senate were debating a move by a Republican faction to overturn the election results, Security Officer Vice President Mike Pence rushed out of the Senate Chamber and the Capitol was locked down past barricades and protesters after angry pro-Trump protesters Law enforcement agencies towards the legislative chambers.
For a time, senators and members of the House were locked in their respective chambers. Images posted on social media showed scenes of supporters fighting violently with the police when at least one person stepped onto the podium in the Chamber of the House to declare support for Mr Trump.
A woman who appeared to be part of the mob is shot in the neck and is in critical condition.
“You got this, guys,” yelled Utah Republican Senator Mitt Romney as the chaos unfolded in the Senate Chamber, apparently turning to his indictment colleagues on Mr. Trump’s false allegations of a stolen election to press .
“This is what the President caused today, this riot,” said Mr Romney angrily later.
The riots prompted Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington to impose a curfew on the entire city from Wednesday evening to Thursday morning at 6:00 p.m. The Army activates the entire District of Columbia National Guard – 1,100 soldiers – at the request of Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington, an Army official said Wednesday.
After Mr Trump admonished his supporters to go to the Capitol on Wednesday morning to register their dissatisfaction, he attempted to contain the violence later that day: “Please support our Capitol police and law enforcement,” he wrote on Twitter. “You are really on our country’s side. Stay peaceful! “
As the clashes deepened, he made no mention of the election and did not urge his supporters to disperse. Instead, he tweeted, “I ask everyone at the US Capitol to stay peaceful. No violence! Remember, WE are law and order – respect the law and our great men and women in blue. “
The extraordinary day in Washington sparked deep divisions, both between the parties and within the Republican ranks, as the ceremonial vote count, which takes place every four years in Congress, became an explosive spectacle and Mr. Trump stirred up unrest.
Democratic lawmakers said the Capitol Police ordered them to hide on the ground and prepare to use gas masks after tear gas was distributed in the Capitol rotunda.
Across the Capitol, Democrat of Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen called out to Republicans on the floor of the House, “Call Trump, tell him to cancel his revolutionary watch.”
In a scene of riot common in other countries but seldom seen in the history of the U.S. capital, hundreds of people in the crowd sped past the fence barricades outside the Capitol and clashed with officers. Screaming protesters mobbed the lobby on the second floor directly in front of the Senate Chamber when police officers stood in front of the chamber doors.
Several lawmakers reported that Capitol Police ordered them to hide on the floor of the house and prepare to use gas masks after tear gas was distributed in the Capitol’s Capitol rotunda. Shortly after, police escorted Senators and members of the House from the building to others nearby as the mob flooded the hallways with pro-Trump paraphernalia just steps from where lawmakers met.
Representative Nancy Mace, a newly minted Republican from South Carolina, described how people “attack the Capitol Police.” On a Twitter post, Ms. Mace shared a video of the chaos and wrote, “This is wrong. This is not who we are. I am heartbroken for our nation today. “
Other Republican lawmakers trapped in the Capitol used Twitter to urge the mob to be peaceful.
“This is an attempted coup,” said Illinois Republican Adam Kinzinger.
In the early afternoon, the police apparently fired lightning grenades. Instead of dispersing, the demonstrators cheered and shouted: “Push forward, push forward.” One person shouted, “This is our house,” which means “Capitol”. Other people repeatedly shouted, “You took an oath.”
When officers and mob members clashed outside, lawmakers had debated an objection to the certification of Arizona voters who were located in their respective chambers. Kentucky Republican Senator and majority leader Mitch McConnell warned of a “death spiral” for democracy, while Ohio Republican Representative Jim Jordan listed a litany of electoral fraud allegations with little evidence.
“I do not recognize our country today, and the members of Congress who supported this anarchy do not deserve to represent their fellow Americans,” said Elaine Luria, Democrat of Virginia.
Kevin McCarthy, the House’s top Republican, urged people to be peaceful.
