An angry mob of several thousand die-hard pro-Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, effectively halting a vote to confirm the 2020 election results. Legislators from both the Senate and House of Representatives were forced to evacuate as the mob violated both the Congress Houses and polling stations.
Capitol police were forced to lock the building, and DC Mayor Muriel Bowser ordered an entire city curfew, which is due to last until 6 a.m. on Thursday, local time.
Protesters rallied in Washington, DC to reject the results of the November 3rd election. They cheered as Trump turned to the crowd, falsely claiming the elections were rigged against him before the mob marched on the Capitol and overcame security barriers. Some in the crowd began demolishing the Capitol Building and took youthful protests, including taking photos of themselves in the chambers of Congress.
The protests were timed with Congress confirming the votes and objectives of the electoral college pressure republican lawmakers Support Trump’s efforts to topple President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory
Responding to Wednesday’s violence, Biden said, “I urge President Trump to go on national television now to keep his oath to defend the Constitution and to call for an end to this siege.”
The Capitol was later secured by police officers, allowing several apparently shaken senior lawmakers to reunite with the certifications of Biden’s victory.
Vice President Mike Pence, generally a staunch Trump loyalist, described the day’s events as “a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol” before adding, “We strongly condemn the violence that took place here. We mourn the loss of life in these hallowed halls and the injured in what is now our Capitol. When we gather in this chamber, the world will once again witness the resilience and strength of our democracy. “
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has broadly supported Trump’s agenda since he took office four years ago, said Congress was facing a “failed insurrection” but vowed to keep the votes counted.
“The United States and the United States Congress have faced greater threats than the people we saw today … They tried to stifle our democracy. You failed, ”said McConnell.
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