Pro-Trump Rioters Storm US Capitol, But Electoral College Count to Continue Tonight

This story has been updated with President Dennis J. Murray’s statement, which was released shortly after the original publication of this story.

On Wednesday, pro-Trump rioters swarmed the U.S. Capitol Complex while Congress counted Electoral College votes in Washington, D.C. The building shutdown and U.S. Senate proceedings were suspended, delaying the official confirmation of President-Elect Joe Biden. One woman was shot and killed, and the national guard has been activated.

Hours later, the U.S. Capitol was finally secured, the Democrats officially won the Senate, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that the Electoral College votes will continue to be counted tonight.

“At this hour, our democracy is under unprecedented assault," President-Elect Joe Biden said in an address to the country today. 

Violent clashes overpowered police forces as lawmakers were swiftly escorted from the chamber; demonstrators roamed around the complex and into the Senate chamber where one man stood on the president of the Senate’s seat yelling, "Trump won that election!" 

Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), the president pro tempore, were ushered out of the Senate and taken to a safe location. Members of Congress were ordered to take shelter in place, and other officials are reportedly out of protestors' reach. 

Thousands of people broke through barricades, pushed aside police officers and swarmed the entire property. Images and videos of protestors hanging from the ceiling of the Capitol, injured people with blood on their bodies, police pointing guns around the Capitol and other chaotic visuals flooded social media. 

"It's chaos, it borders on sedition, and it must end now. I call this mob to pull back and allow this work of democracy to go forward; therefore, I call on President Trump to go on national television now to fulfill his oath and defend the constitution and demand an end to this siege," Biden said. 

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a city-wide mandatory curfew today at 6 p.m. and requested a national guard's presence. Civilians of the city have been advised to stay home as officials coordinate efforts to calm the riots and take control of the nation's capital. “It’s absolute chaos. While I’m safe in my apartment, it’s really nerve-wracking,” Marist alumnus Jay Silver ‘20, resident of the city, said.

D.C. medical services said they have many injured in their care units, and the city is waiting for further help to control the crowds. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) is sending members of the Virginia national guard and hundreds of state troopers. 

Officials predicted the rally's intense nature and braced for potential violent outbreaks; businesses in Washington boarded their window, fearing that the protests would escalate as they did. In a matter of hours, severe violence struck D.C., and officers immediately called for rapid military involvement. 

"The violence and destruction taking place in the U.S. Capitol Must Stop, and it Must Stop Now. Anyone involved must respect Law Enforcement officers and immediately leave the building," Vice President Mike Pence wrote in a tweet. "Peaceful protest is the right of every American, but this attack on our Capitol will not be tolerated, and those involved will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

On Wednesday evening, President Dennis J. Murray issued a statement to the Marist College community condemning the mob: “What is taking place is an affront to our democratic traditions and the ideals that all American citizens should hold dear.”

On Wednesday, pro-Trump rioters swarmed the U.S. Capitol Complex while Congress counted Electoral College votes in Washington, D.C. Source: Gage Skidmore