Images from inside the US capitol are showing what appears to be an armed stand-off between police and Trump supporters at the door to the chamber of the House of Representatives.
Capitol Police have locked off the Senate chamber and have guns drawn as protesters are pounding on the doors and reportedly vandalizing the building.
#Washington #DC
ARMED STAND-OFF OUTSIDE SENATE HOUSE FLOOR pic.twitter.com/5aOBkRD1FV— Shane B. Murphy (@shanermurph) January 6, 2021
Reporters and lawmakers have taken to social media to update the situation and say they have been instructed to lay down on the floor in-place.
Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Michigan) claimed in a tweet that he and others were told to don gas masks.
I am in the House Chambers. We have been instructed to lie down on the floor and put on our gas masks. Chamber security and Capitol Police have their guns drawn as protesters bang on the front door of the chamber.
This is not a protest. This is an attack on America.
— Rep. Dan Kildee (@RepDanKildee) January 6, 2021
Other images show protesters setting off fire extinguishers and abandoned offices as employees have attempted to hide from the rioting demonstrators. Conservative reporter Elijah Shaffer shared an image allegedly from Nancy Pelosi’s office with emails still up on a computer screen, suggesting those previously occupying the space left in a hurry.
Trump protesters just discharged a fire extinguisher outside Senate chamber. Many protesters are inside building, and most people are hiding from them pic.twitter.com/0y2sk8LHWd
— Steven Nelson (@stevennelson10) January 6, 2021
BREAKING: I am inside Nancy Pelosi’s office with the thousands of revolutionaries who have stormed the building
To put into perspective how quickly staff evacuated, emails are still on the screen along side a federal alert warning members of the current revolution pic.twitter.com/m24YjtWIXh
— ELIJAH SCHAFFER (@ElijahSchaffer) January 6, 2021
President Donald Trump, who previously gave a speech to the crowd saying he will “never concede” the election to Joe Biden, took to Twitter to urge calm and support for “Capitol Police and law enforcement.”
Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2021
A curfew has been called in Washington DC due to the chaos at the Capitol. The protests come on the same day Congress is set to certify the Electoral College vote in Biden’s favor. While many, including Trump, expressed hope that Mike Pence would challenge these “fraudulent” votes, the vice president released a statement earlier on Wednesday saying he does not have the legal authority to do so.
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