PROTESTS
Capitol chaos: Pro-Trump rallies turn to insurrection leaving 4 dead
After a speech by President Trump, who vowed "never to concede" insurrectionists stormed the Capitol and breached police barricades. One woman was shot and killed.
Author: Laura Wainman
Published: 12:55 AM CST January 7, 2021
Updated: 12:55 AM CST January 7, 2021
WASHINGTON — Constitutionally speaking, Jan. 6 is set as a day of order, when Congress convenes to certify Electoral College votes and formally cement a president’s victory. On Jan. 6, 2021, however, order was nowhere to be found in Washington, D.C.
Shortly after President Trump addressed his supporters vowing "never to concede" the 2020 election in a speech on the Ellipse, rioters stormed the Capitol, breaching all police barricades and forcefully entering the building. The Capitol was placed on lockdown, police ordered evacuations, and the certification of Electoral College votes, which had just begun minutes before rioters broke in, was delayed. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a public emergency in D.C. and instituted a curfew through 6 a.m. Thursday.
According to Acting DC Police Chief Robert Contee, four people died over the course of the day, including one woman who was shot by Capitol Police as a mob attempted to break into the House chamber. Two men and another woman died of medical complications, unrelated to firearms.
RELATED: 52 arrested, 4 dead, 14 DC police officers injured amid pro-Trump riots at the U.S. Capitol
Attack on the Capitol - Trump supporters riot, storm the U.S. Capitol
Credit: AP
Police with guns drawn watch as protesters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Credit: AP
Police keep a watch on demonstrators who tried to break through a police barrier, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol in Washington. As Congress prepares to affirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory, thousands of people have gathered to show their support for President Donald Trump and his claims of election fraud.(AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Two pipe bombs were found outside of the RNC and DNC, and a cooler of Molotov cocktails was discovered by DC Police near the Capitol. More than 50 people were arrested on charges of curfew violation and possession of unlicensed weapons, and at least 14 officers were injured, with several taken to local hospitals for treatment, DC Police said.
Several hours after the riots began, President Trump tweeted a video calling for peace and telling his supporters to go home, after saying he understood their pain, and reiterating unfounded claims of election fraud. Twitter eventually removed the tweet, along with two others, and blocked the president’s access to the account for 12 hours, citing repeated violations of the platform’s civic integrity policy. Instagram later followed suit.
RELATED: Woman shot, killed inside U.S. Capitol building during riots
National Guard troops were deployed to D.C. from the District, Virginia and Maryland, after the Department of Defense initially denied additional DC National Guard troops to be sent to the Capitol, according to the DC Council. Multiple neighboring police forces also sent backup support, including Virginia and Maryland State Police and officers from Prince William, Fairfax, Arlington County and Prince George’s counties.
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