Over 1,000 National Guard troops have been deployed to control the situation in Washington D.C.
Violent scenes have engulfed the US Capitol as pro-Trump supporters stormed the building as Congress were due to ratify President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
CNN reports that a woman is in critical condition after being shot in the chest on the grounds of the Capitol. At least five people have been taken to hospital.
Law enforcement officials told NBC News that at least one improvised explosive device was found on the grounds of the US Capitol.
A woman is in critical condition after being shot in the chest on the Capitol grounds, according to two sources familiar with the matter https://t.co/hVJj5APK5F pic.twitter.com/5qVSD4TNET
— CNN (@CNN) January 6, 2021
Since Joe Biden was projected winner of the US presidential election on November 7th, incumbent President Donald Trump (and his supporters) have doubted the legitimacy of the election. No evidence of wrongdoing has ever been uncovered, but it is a claim they persist with today.
Earlier today, pro-Trump supporters began their descent on the US capitol with a ‘March for Trump’ / ‘Save America’ rally held outside the building. Trump himself spoke at this event.
One person has been shot in America's Capitol after armed Trump supporters stormed the building and fought with police.
Congress was forced to suspend the certification of Joe Biden's election victory. pic.twitter.com/SF3tNzypuv
— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) January 6, 2021
Later on in the day, Trump supporters stormed the US capitol on their way to the White House. They clashed with police and security guards, even setting off fire extinguishers while inside the building.
President Trump tweeted a pre-recorded video in which he called for peace, but repeated unsubstantiated claims that the election was “fraudulent”.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1346928882595885058
Joe Biden made a live address in which he described the protests as “an assault on the most sacred of American undertakings: the doing of the people’s business.”
