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From a news outlet that still actually reports the NEWS
Just as an initial impression, "rioters", like Antifa or BLM burn things down and assault humans. I have not seen anything like that - but they are "rioters".
Looking at the livened from TruNews it looks "mostly peaceful".
National Guard called to US
Capitol as pro-Trump mob
forces lawmakers to evacuate
- After a stand-off between protesters and police, Trump supporters breached the Capitol, smashing windows and occupying areas normally off-limits to the public
- Reports of shots fired inside Capitol building with one woman injured
SCMP,
7 January, 2021
A congressional proceeding to certify the results of the US presidential election turned chaotic and violent on Wednesday as supporters of outgoing US President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building, forcing the evacuation of Vice-President Mike Pence and lawmakers.
After an outdoor stand-off with Capitol Police, Trump supporters brandishing US and Confederate flags breached the Capitol, smashing windows, setting off fire extinguishers and occupying areas of the building normally off-limits to the public.
Hours into the siege, White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said Trump had ordered the deployment of the National Guard to quell the violence and called on agitators to “remain peaceful”.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a 12-hour curfew, exempting essential workers, to begin at 6pm.
Rioters supporting President Donald Trump inside the US Capitol building on Wednesday. Photo: AP
At least one Trump supporter entered the Senate chamber, while others smashed windows in an attempt to break onto the House floor, where police officers stood brandishing guns. Police placed the building under lockdown, and lawmakers reported being instructed to prepare gas masks after the indoor deployment of tear gas.
Speaking on Fox News, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said he had heard on Capitol Police radio that there were “shots fired” in the building. The Washington Post reported that a woman was shot in the shoulder, though details were unknown.
As police led senators to the Capitol basement, Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican from Utah and a Trump critic, told a New York Times reporter: “This is what the president has caused today, this insurrection.”
The breach came hours after Pence told lawmakers he would not flout his constitutional obligations and reject Electoral College votes during Congress’ certification of the presidential election result, resisting explicit pressure from President Donald Trump to overturn his loss to Joe Biden.
“My oath to support and defend the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not,” Pence said in a letter to members of Congress.
In a rebuke of his own vice-president, Trump tweeted that Pence “didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify.”
The fracture between the two came as Pence appeared in Congress to oversee certification proceedings, a traditionally routine process that this year is expected to extend for hours amid challenges of the results from Republicans.
Close by, and before rioters stormed the Capitol, Trump appeared at a rally to exert further pressure on Pence, while appearing to acknowledge that the vice-president did not intend to acquiesce to his demands.
“Mike Pence, I hope you’re going to stand up for the good of our Constitution and for the good of our country,” Trump said to supporters. “And if you’re not, I’m going to be very disappointed in you. I will tell you right now, I’m not hearing good stories.”
Representative Adam Kinzinger, Republican of Illinois, said he blamed Trump for the day’s violence, citing the president’s aggressive rhetoric in his Wednesday rally and across his social media accounts.
“I‘ve said for weeks that I fear violence on January 6, and for the president to go out today, when everybody’s in a heightened emotional state after being falsely promised that somehow Congress can magically pick the next president, he completely shirked his responsibility as president to keep the American people safe,” Kinzinger told NBC.
Though shunning pressure from Trump, Pence told lawmakers in his letter that he supported their right to challenge the Electoral College votes delivered by each state.
Soon into Wednesday’s proceedings, lawmakers did just that, objecting to the results delivered by Arizona, where Biden triumphed, picking up 11 Electoral College votes. Such objections, which must be aired by both a House representative and a senator, automatically triggering a maximum two-hour debate on the validity of the result.
None of the Republicans objections are expected to succeed, given that Democrats control the House and a number of Republicans in the Senate have publicly stated they will not vote to reject any of the results.
Speaking during the Senate’s debate over the Arizona result, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell condemned efforts by his fellow Republicans to overturn Trump’s defeat over baseless claims of voter fraud, saying: “Nothing before us proves illegality anywhere near the massive scale — the massive scale — that would have tipped the entire election.”
Warning against a “death spiral” for democracy, McConnell also castigated colleagues for citing public concern about the legitimacy of the election as a reason to overturn results, “when the doubt itself was incited without any evidence.”
The violence came after days of public attempts by Trump to coerce Pence into rejecting the Electoral College votes in certain states, asserting in a false Tweet on Tuesday that “The Vice President has the power to reject fraudulently chosen electors.”
The Constitution’s 12th Amendment prescribes that the vice-president must “open all the certificates, and the votes shall then be counted”.
“Some believe that as Vice President, I should be able to accept or reject electoral votes unilaterally,” Pence said in his letter. “Others believe that electoral votes should never be challenged in a Joint Session of Congress. After a careful study of our Constitution, our laws and our history I believe neither view is correct.”
Last week a federal judge rejected an attempt by congressional Republicans to sue Pence into forcing him to interfere in the Electoral College count. An appeal by a group of Republicans, led by Representative Louie Gohmert of Texas, was summarily dismissed on Saturday.
The public pressure campaign against Trump’s arguably most steadfast ally marked an extraordinary capstone to a precedent-defying presidency, with the US leader telling supporters earlier this week that he would not “like [Pence] quite as much” if he did not acquiesce to his demands to undermine the Electoral College vote.
US stock markets ended mixed as the turmoil in Washington escalated. The Dow Jones Industrial Average reached a record high, gaining more than 400 points, or 1.4 per cent, and the S&P 500 increased about 0.6 per cent. The Nasdaq ended the session lower.
Additional reporting by Robert Delaney and Jacob Frome
The National Guard and other forces are on their way to the U.S. Capitol after people dressed in pro-Trump apparel stormed the building on Wednesday, interrupting a joint session of Congress.
At President Donald Trump’s direction, “the National Guard is on the way along with other federal protective services,” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement.
“We reiterate President Trump’s call against violence and to remain peaceful,” she added.
After the protesters entered the building, triggering the evacuation of members of Congress, at least one person appeared to have been shot.
U.S. Capitol police were making arrests but appeared overwhelmed. They had barricaded the House chambers, and some were pointing guns at the doors as protestors peered in.
Trump urged people to “remain peaceful,” adding, “No violence!” He also asked supporters to respect the police.
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