Congress Resumes Debate After Rioters Storm Capitol – WSJ
WASHINGTON—A mob of President Trump’s supportersCongress Resumes Debate After Rioters Storm Capitol – WSJ stormed the Capitol, overwhelming police and creating a chaotic, violent scene that derailed for several hours the ratification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.
Hundreds of people echoing Mr. Trump’s false claims that Democrats stole the 2020 election had gathered Wednesday ahead of a last-ditch effort from his congressional allies to contest the results in Congress. Those demonstrations turned violent, with rioters barging their way past police and into the Capitol, forcing lawmakers to shelter under desks and the evacuation of congressional leaders to nearby Fort McNair, a U.S. law-enforcement official said.
With rioters roaming freely in the Capitol, police closed the doors to the House and Senate chambers, using furniture to barricade the doors in the House. Several police officers drew their weapons, instructing lawmakers to put on gas masks and stay on the floor until they could be safely evacuated. A woman who was shot by Capitol police during the unrest has died, D.C. police said.
The scenes, playing out in real time across the nation on cable television, represented a stunning coda to Mr. Trump’s presidency as Congress assembled to certify his opponent’s win. Washington sees frequent political demonstrations and skirmishes. But scenes of rioters confronting police on the Capitol steps, scaling the sides of the iconic building and sitting in lawmakers’ chairs prompted outrage among Washington lawmakers and officials.