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Shortly after 1 p.m. ET, hundreds of pro-Trump protesters broke through barriers erected along the perimeter of the Capitol Building, where they clashed with officers in full riot gear, with some calling the officers “traitors.” for doing their job. About 90 minutes later, police said protesters entered the building and the doors to the House and Senate were locked. Shortly after, the floor of the house was evacuated by the police.
An armed standoff took place at the front door of the House starting at 3 p.m. ET, and police officers fired their guns at someone attempting to walk through it. A Trump supporter was also pictured standing on the Senate dais earlier in the afternoon.
The Senate floor was cleared of rioters at 3:30 p.m. ET, and an officer told CNN they had managed to get them away from the Senate wing of the building and at the Rotunda, and that they were removing them. Eastern and Western doors of the 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. The sources were unable to provide further details on the circumstances of the shooting. Several officers were injured, at least one of whom was taken to hospital, multiple sources told CNN.
It is not known if any of the individuals were taken into custody.
Vice President Mike Pence was also evacuated from Capitol Hill, where he was to play his part in the counting of the votes.
Video from inside the Capitol showed Trump supporters parading through Statuary Hall. The U.S. Capitol Police are requesting further assistance from law enforcement, including federal authorities, according to a familiar source. The source says there are several suspicious devices outside the Capitol building.
Trump headed the National Guard in Washington with “other federal protective services,” according to White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
The entire DC National Guard was activated by the Department of Defense in the wake of a pro-Trump mob that violated the United States Capitol.
“The DC Guard has been mobilized to provide support to federal law enforcement in the district,” said Jonathan Hoffman, the Pentagon’s senior spokesperson. “Acting Secretary Miller has been in contact with Congressional officials, and Secretary McCarthy has worked with the DC government. The law enforcement response will be led by the Department of Justice.”
The Department of Defense had previously received a request from the United States Capitol Police for additional DC National Guard forces, but no decision has been made, according to a senior defense official.
The official said the DC National Guard has no plans to be used to protect federal facilities, and the Trump administration decided earlier this week that that would be the job of civilian law enforcement, the official said. responsible.
The shocking scene encountered fewer police forces than most Black Lives Matter protests that have unfolded across the country in the wake of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of Minneapolis police officers last year. As federal police attacked peaceful protesters in Lafayette Square outside the White House over the summer, clearing the way for Trump to take a photo outside a nearby church at the time, protesters were able to invade the area on Wednesday. Capitol police and infiltrate the country’s legislature. bedrooms.
House and Senate leaders are safe and in undisclosed locations, according to a familiar person. Another lawmaker said House members were evacuated to a location this source would not disclose.
The United States Capitol Police are working on securing the second floor of the Capitol first, then will expand from there. Outside the Capitol, the DC Metropolitan Police Department continues to rally, but no major movement has yet been made towards the crowds.
The Capitol Police officer in the House chamber told lawmakers they may need to hide under their chairs and informed lawmakers that protesters were in the building’s rotunda. Many members of the House were seen wearing gas masks as they moved between the Capitol buildings. Members were calling the family to say they are doing well.
As the White House declined to comment on the protests, Trump said on Twitter, “Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on our country’s side. Stay in peace!”
Others inside the president’s orbit tweeted their pleas for calm as crowds repeatedly attempted to take over the building.
Donald Trump Jr., the president’s son, said his supporters who assaulted Capitol Hill were “wrong and not who we are.”
“Be peaceful and use your 1st Amendment rights, but don’t start acting like the other side. We have a country to save and it doesn’t help anyone,” he tweeted.
Protesters broke through exterior security gates and video footage shows protesters gathering and clashes with police near the Capitol building. The CNN team on the ground saw a number of protesters trying to climb up the side of the Capitol building. Several loud flashes were heard.
Protesters could be seen pushing against metal fences and police using the fences to push back protesters, while other officers reached the top for people at the club trying to cross their lines.
Flashes of lightning could be heard near the steps of the Capitol as smoke filled the air. In some cases, officers could be seen deploying pepper spray. Tear gas was fired, but it is not known whether by protesters or by police, and people wiped tears from their eyes while coughing.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser just announced a citywide curfew from 6 p.m. ET Wednesday to 6 a.m. ET Thursday.
Federal and local law enforcement is responding to reports of possible homemade bombs in several locations in Washington DC, according to a federal law enforcement official. It is not known if the devices are real or a hoax, but they are treated as real.
A homemade bomb was discovered at the headquarters of the Republican National Committee on Wednesday, an RNC official told CNN. The device was found on the ground outside, along the wall of the headquarters. It was safely detonated by police, the RNC official said.
The Democratic National Committee was also evacuated after an investigation into a suspicious package was carried out nearby, a Democratic source familiar with the matter told CNN. The party had shut down the building preventively ahead of the protests, the source said, but some security and essential personnel were evacuated.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
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