The U.S. Capitol was put on lockdown on Wednesday, January 6th as crowds protesting President-elect Joe Biden’s victory breached security barricades while Congress was debating the certification of his electoral win over President Donald Trump.
Angry supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol in a chaotic protest aimed at thwarting a peaceful transfer of power, forcing US lawmakers to be rushed from the building and interrupting challenges to Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory.
The riots on the historic Capitol Building began after Trump vowed to he would “never concede” and urged the massive crowd to march to the Capitol where hundreds had already gathered under tight security. “We will never give up,” Trump told his noontime rally.
President Trump falsely repeated the claims that he is the rightful winner of the Presidential election, as he stood inside a bulletproof box addressing masses of followers. President Trump said: “You don’t concede when there’s theft involved. Our country has had enough and we will not take it anymore.”
Trump has spent much of his time since the November presidential election trying to contest the result by presenting an argument of voter fraud. However, the President hasn’t yet been able to provide any evidence to support his inflammatory claims.
The US Congress and Senate had begun the solemn procedure of certifying a new president, in an extraordinary joint session to confirm the Electoral College results and President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
The deliberations inside were still in their early stages when they were overcome by raucous demonstrations outside, as protesters who clashed with police entered the building, shouting and waving Trump and American flags. They abruptly interrupted the proceedings in an out-of-control scene that featured eerie official warnings directing people to duck under their seats for cover and put on gas masks.
The proceedings in both the Chambers were disrupted and the lawmakers including Vice President Pence and Speaker Nancy Pelosi were escorted to safer locations for fear of their safety, while the House and Senate, along with several Office Buildings on the Hill were evacuated.
House members inside the Chamber were instructed to pull out the gas masks from underneath their seats and be prepared to put them on, according to police.
With mounting pressure from several officials and lawmakers from his own party, over two hours after the rioters invaded the Capitol, President Donald Trump, in a video message, told his supporters to “go home” while continuing to keep up false attacks about the presidential election,
Trump opened his video, saying, “I know your pain. I know your hurt. But you have to go home now.” He also went on to call the supporters “very special.” Trump told the rioters: “We can’t play into the hands of these people. We have to have peace. So go home. We love you. You’re very special.”