Disgraceful scenes witnessed inside at US Capitol Hill in Washington, as violent clashes broke out between supporters of sitting President Donald Trump and the police.
To what observers described as an attack striking at the very heart of American democracy, the protesters tore down metal barricades at the bottom of the Capitol’s steps and were met by officers in riot gear.
Some tried to push past the police officials, who held shields, and the police could be seen firing pepper spray into the crowd to keep them back, even as the crowd shouted, “traitors”.
The violence soon moved inside the Capitol Hill building, with reports of firing at the premises. The violence also included the fatal shooting of a woman
The attack forced Congress to postpone a session that would have certified President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
Videos showed Trump supporters breaking windows and police firing tear gas shells inside the building.
Tens of thousands of Trump supporters are out in DC this morning, packing The Ellipse and now filling up much of the space near the Washington Monument as an overflow area to watch the rally #DC #SaveAmericaMarch #WashingtonDC #January6thDC pic.twitter.com/PaYZsRXWk3
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) January 6, 2021
Here’s the scary moment when protesters initially got into the building from the first floor and made their way outside Senate chamber.#WashingtonDC pic.twitter.com/ZiibWl0oSu
— SanamJamali (@Sanamjamali6) January 6, 2021
AdvertisementPounding on the doors as the crowds move through the halls of the U.S. Capitol #CapitolBuilding #Congress #DC #WashingtonDC pic.twitter.com/WyNwHJVoPM
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) January 6, 2021
Trump supporters breach the line of police, now having opened the Capitol on the front and back side as outside crowds rush into the building #January6th #Capitol #DC #WashingtonDC pic.twitter.com/qUobYiubT7
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) January 6, 2021
Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee said members of the crowd used chemical irritants to attack police and several had been injured.
When the attack took place, lawmakers had been debating a last-ditch effort by pro-Trump lawmakers to challenge the results, which was unlikely to succeed.
The top two Democrats in Congress, House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schumer called on Trump to demand that all the protesters leave the Capitol and its grounds immediately.
Capitol Police meanwhile told the lawmakers who were in the House chamber to take gas masks from beneath their seats and ordered them to drop to the floor for their safety. Officers drew their guns as someone tried to enter the House chamber.
Police piled furniture against the doors of the House chamber as protesters tried to break them down. Several hundred House members, staff and press were later evacuated to an undisclosed location.
National Guard troops, FBI agents and U.S. Secret Service were deployed to help overwhelmed Capitol police. The violence unfolded on the same day that Trump’s Republicans lost their majority in the Senate as they lost two runoff elections in Georgia.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump, who continues to insist he will not concede, had said at a rally of his supports on Wednesday afternoon in Washington, “We will never give up.”
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