Congress vote to determine legitimacy of U.S. Presidential election stopped after protesters enter the building
UPDATE: On Wednesday evening the Capitol was secured after hours of pro-Trump rioting, and congress resumed its tally, confirming President-elect Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. Four people have been pronounced dead following the riots.
Shortly after 1 p.m. on Jan. 6 thousands of protesters swarmed Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., pushing their way past police and fence barriers in support of President Trump’s claim that the presidential election was stolen from him.
The protesters had been encouraged by Trump to march to the Capitol as congress gathered to debate the vote count, determining the legitimacy of the election results. The electoral vote count has since been stopped after learning protesters had barged into the building, according to the Washington Post.
CNN reported that there was an armed standoff at the front door of the House as of 3 p.m., between police officers and someone attempting to breach the door.
CNN reported that Vice President Mike Pence was evacuated from the scene, where he was supposed to perform his role in counting the electoral votes. Leaders of the House and Senate, as well as House members are reported to have been evacuated to safe and undisclosed locations.
U.S. Capitol Police warned members inside to stay away from exterior windows and doors, and to seek cover if they are outside.
Rep. Elaine Luria tweeted that she had to evacuate her office “because of a pipe bomb reported outside.” According to CNN, a number of suspicious devices have been reported outside the Capitol building.
A woman is also in critical condition after being shot in the chest on Capitol grounds, according to NBC and CNN.
At 3:30 p.m. rioters were cleared from the Senate floor and were being “squeezed away from the Senate wing of the building,” and out of the East and West doors of the Capitol by police, an officer told CNN. The US Capitol Police have requested additional backup from the D.C. National Guard forces who are to send 1,100 guardsmen within the next few hours.
A senior defence official told CNN that the DC National Guard wasn’t expecting to be needed in this manner, and that the Trump administration tasked the job of protecting federal facilities to civilian law enforcement earlier this week.
As of 3:48 p.m., NBC reported that at least 5 people have been transported to hospital including officers being treated for pepper spray.
In his live address at 4:00 p.m., President-elect Joe Biden called on President Trump to “go on national television now to fulfill his oath and defend the constitution and demand an end to this siege,” calling the protest one of disorder and chaos and saying it must end immediately.
At 4:25 p.m. President Trump posted a video on Twitter calling the election fraudulent, that the election was stolen from them, but saying “you have to go home now, we have to have peace.”
The D.C. mayor has imposed a curfew: from 6 p.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. Thursday, no one beyond essential workers is allowed out in the city. The curfew includes those travelling by car or bike.
Congress has until Inauguration Day on Jan. 20 to determine the results.