Wednesday afternoon, supporters of President Donald Trump marched across Washington to protest the presidential election results, eventually making their way to the US Capitol Building.
The rioters were gathered in the nation’s capital city for a rally held by the President earlier in the day. During this rally, the President called for his followers to “march on the capital.”
After the event, what appeared to be tens of thousands of people stormed the area around the Capitol. A mob successfully breached security, getting inside the building and onto the debate floors of the House and Senate. There are reports that one woman has been shot and that at least one police officer has been taken to the hospital.
This occurred while Congress was meeting to count the electoral votes and certify the results of the election. This was projected to be a long day as members of congress already came out and said they would protest the results of the election. Earlier in the day, Mitch McConnell and Vice President Mike Pence both defied the President and reported that they would not further contest the results of the election.
Around 4 pm, President-elect Joe Biden called on President Trump to end the insurrection. Shortly after, President Trump made a statement on Twitter calling for his followers to “go home,” while also reaffirming that the election “was stolen.” While he asked for the insurrectionists to leave, he also repeated, “We love you, you are very special.”
D.C. Mayor Bowser has imposed a citywide curfew to quell the unrest, stating no one other than essential personnel would be allowed outdoors from 6PM Wednesday to 6AM Thursday. As the police presence increases, it is unclear when Congress will be able to resume their verification of the election.
