Riots Erupt at the Capitol

Senate meeting to confirm Electoral College votes disrupted

On Jan.6, the US Capitol building was raided following Trump’s “Save America Rally” in Washington DC. The riot occurred in an attempt by Trump supporters to overturn election results. Jan.6 was the day that lawmakers were gathering to count and confirm Electoral college votes.

Trump’s Rally took place at approximately 11 am, after Trump was done speaking at 12 am, thousands of Trump supporters marched to the Capitol building. Rioters protested outside until 1:10 am where rioters had supposedly started fighting with police outside.

Following more resistance, rioters eventually gained access to the building through brute force, there have also been reports that some rioters were scaling the building to break through windows. Rioters then started to break into offices, meeting rooms, and eventually the senate floor. All staff and personnel were evacuated as soon as reports came in of rioting.

At 2:44 pm, shots were fired in the inner house chamber, a woman named Ashli Babbitt had been shot in the neck and critically injured. Police have reported that she passed away later that day. The Washington D.C national guard was then called on, 1,100 troops were deployed to the Capitol building to support the police.

After the national guard secured the building, congress reconvened to continue counting the Electoral College votes. D.C Police Chief Robert Contee stated that there were five believed to be dead and many more injured, 68 people have been arrested so far with efforts being made to find more.

This event has reinforced the possibility of large issues that are coming with the increasingly large partisan divide in the US. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is now moving forward with the impeachment of Trump. In an interview on “60 minutes” following the riots, Pelosi stated “we’re only a number of days until– we can be protected from him. But he has done something so serious– that there should be a prosecution against him.”