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- One woman has died after being shot during violence which erupted when pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol Building in Washington D.C.
- Hundreds of armed extremists stormed the building on Wednesday local time to protest against the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s election win
- Lawmakers will push ahead with certifying Biden’s election, despite the attack, though some Republicans are still considering objecting against the results
- A curfew has been enacted throughout Washington D.C. to stop the rioters from returning, with the building now secured after the National Guard was called in
- World leaders, including the Australian Prime Minister, have condemned the attacks and called for a peaceful transition of power
A woman has been shot dead during widespread violence which erupted when pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol Building in Washington D.C.
Hundreds of extremists broke into the building on Wednesday as U.S. Congress Members met to certify Joe Biden’s Presidential win.
After a tense stand-off, in which lawmakers, staff and members of the press had to barricade themselves inside safe rooms, the building has now been secured.
Members of the Senate and House of Representatives state they will push ahead with certifying Biden’s win, with a curfew enacted across Washington D.C.
How it unfolded
After months of agitation following his loss at the Presidential Election, supporters of Donald Trump flocked to Washington D.C. to protest the certification process on Wednesday.
The rioters stormed the Capitol Building shortly after the process started, interrupting the joint session and trashing the inside of the historic building while threatening lawmakers and staff inside.
The insurrection lasted for several hours, before the National Guard was eventually deployed to help Capital Police remove the extremists and evacuate those inside the building.
Response
Following the violence, leaders from across the globe quickly condemned the rioter’s action and called for an immediate, peaceful transition of power.
Disgraceful scenes in U.S. Congress. The United States stands for democracy around the world and it is now vital that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) January 6, 2021
Very distressing scenes at the US Congress. We condemn these acts of violence and look forward to a peaceful transfer of Government to the newly elected administration in the great American democratic tradition.
— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) January 6, 2021
President-elect Joe Biden also called for calm amid the violence and urged outgoing President Donald Trump to instruct his followers to stand down.
But, Trump largely remained silent through most of the riots, only tweeting a call for protestors to remain peaceful when encountering law enforcement.
I am asking for everyone at the U.S. Capitol to remain peaceful. No violence! Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order – respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue. Thank you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2021
The outgoing President later released a video asking the mob to return home, however, the video has since been removed from social media as he repeatedly claimed the election was stolen — an unsubstantiated claim.
Additionally, Trump’s tweets were removed from Twitter after he tweeted “these are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away.”
Twitter has now locked Trump’s account for the next 12 hours.
Next steps
A sweeping curfew has been enacted across Washinton D.C., banning anyone from leaving their homes between 6:00 pm and 6:00 am.
Following the curfew, Congress has stated it will push ahead with certifying Biden’s election win.
Additionally, several Republicans have vowed to abandon their plans to protest Biden’s win in the aftermath of the inserrection.
More to come.
