Chaos ensued Wednesday as nightfall descended on a beleaguered Capitol Hill and Mayor Muriel Bowser’s curfew went into effect.
The Capitol Hill complex went on lockdown after planned “Stop the Steal” protests devolved into a violent breach of the congressional building — smashing windows, breaking into offices, looting rooms, and forcing an evacuation of Vice President Mike Pence and lawmakers as staff and reporters were told to shelter in place.
This police controlled detonation image that @LeahMillis captured, wow pic.twitter.com/0ntzi7sONC
— Geoffrey Ingersoll (@GPIngersoll) January 6, 2021
At least four protests were scheduled in Washington, D.C., for Wednesday, the day Congress was expected to count the votes of the Electoral College and certify President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. President Trump and many of his political supporters, including Roger Stone and George Papadopoulos, attended the protests, which turned into a storming of the Capitol.
Parked in the middle of Constitution Ave. pic.twitter.com/TvWlkDVtIu
— Nic Rowan (@NicXTempore) January 6, 2021
Trump repeatedly stoked the chaos throughout the day, repeating claims of widespread voter fraud and telling his supporters “we will never give up” and “we will never concede.” Those claims have been rejected by state and federal officials, and Trump and his allies’ legal challenges in court have largely failed.
After the Capitol was breached, Trump made several appeals to law and order and asked his supporters for peace but still claimed he won the election. Despite calling for peace, Trump in a series of tweets sympathized with and appeared to defend the protesters, saying in a removed tweet, “These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots.”
National Guard troops, the U.S. Marshals, and state troopers from Maryland and Virginia have been activated and deployed to Washington, D.C.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam issued a state of emergency and declared a curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in Alexandria and Arlington.
At the request of @AlexandriaVAGov and @ArlingtonVA, I am declaring a 6PM to 6AM curfew in these jurisdictions, with limited exceptions.
I am also issuing a State of Emergency in Virginia, so we can continue to respond.
— Ralph Northam (@GovernorVA) January 6, 2021
The Capitol building was eventually secured, but protesters continued to roam the district after the curfew went into effect.
Sergeant at Arms says the Capitol building is secure.
The room breaks out into applause.
— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) January 6, 2021
Law enforcement identified at least two potential improvised explosive devices on Wednesday, “at least one near [Capitol Hill],” according to CBS News.
“As of this writing MPD EOD united are in the process of disrupting the devices which appear to be Improvised Explosive Devices,” the Metropolitan Police Department wrote.
#CapitolBuilding Law enforcement bulletin suspected IEDs – at least one near Cap Hill – “As of this writing MPD EOD units are in the process of disrupting the devices which appear to be Improvised Explosive Devices”+ unknown if devices are “legitimate or hoaxes.” @CBSNews pic.twitter.com/Mq1kkNkxkO
— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) January 6, 2021
Both the Republican National Committee’s and the Democratic National Committee’s facilities were evacuated Wednesday after another explosive device was found at the RNC and a “suspicious package” was reported at the DNC, according to the New York Times.
The device, a pipe bomb, was successfully destroyed by a bomb squad.
Several civilians and law enforcement officers have been injured in the chaos. One woman was shot inside the Capitol earlier Wednesday. She died after being transported to the hospital. The details surrounding the incident are unknown.
