CHAOS IN WASHINGTON DC AS TRUMP SUPPORTERS STORM US CAPITOL (PHOTOS+VIDEOS)

Thu 07 January 2021:

Chaos in Washington DC as supporters of President Donald Trump swarmed the Capitol building, prompting Vice President Mike Pence to be swept to a secure location and the Senate chamber to be evacuated.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., asked for the National Guard to clear and secure the Capitol, according to a person familiar with the situation not authorized to speak on the record.

As a mob breached the Capitol, Vice President Mike Pence was rushed from the Senate chamber and the building was placed on lockdown. Shortly after, Trump tweeted that Pence “didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done” because he did not try to reject the electors.

The protesters arrived at the Capitol from a “Save America Rally”, where Trump had urged them to support those legislators opposing Mr Biden’s confirmation.

Trump began speaking almost exactly an hour before the start of a joint session of Congress, during which the Electoral College votes are to be certified. Pence’s constitutionally-mandated obligation is to oversee the proceedings in a ministerial role.

“I hope Mike is going to do the right thing,” Mr. Trump said. “I hope so, I hope so, because if Mike Pence does the right thing, we win the election.” He added, “one of the top constitutional lawyers in our country” told him Pence has “the absolute right to” throw out the election results.

A pro-Trump mob breached the Capitol in Washington on Wednesday, prompting a lockdown and parts of the building to be evacuated. https://t.co/24VQQKcZ69 pic.twitter.com/nwoFHqa0zh

— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 6, 2021

Crowd continues to increase in size with Trump supporters for today’s rally in Washington, DC. pic.twitter.com/poVMoDPBoa

— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) January 6, 2021

Dozens of protesters, many wearing red hats and holding “Trump” flags, could be seen walking through the Capitol’s Statuary Hall, according to live video streaming from C-SPAN.

In dramatic scenes, demonstrators swarmed near the building, as Congress members were escorted out by police.

There are reports of guns drawn in the building and at least one person shot.

A woman was reported to be in a critical condition after receiving a neck injury.

A joint session of Congress had been counting and confirming electoral college votes but has been suspended and forced into recess.

Trump has unsuccessfully tried to overturn election results in six battleground states through dozens of failed lawsuits, falsely claiming the election was stolen despite no evidence of widespread fraud. Although several Republican legislators have indicated they will object to the certification of electoral votes for Biden, the campaign lacks the votes needed to overturn the results.

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

TWITTER (CLICK HERE)
https://twitter.com/IpIndependent