Photo: Samuel Corum/Getty Images
Thousands of Trump supporters stormed Capitol Hill on Wednesday to protest the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory in Congress, forcing police to order the evacuation of nearby office buildings. Some of the supporters ascended the Capitol Building’s steps and appeared to try and gain entry before they were stopped by a phalanx of U.S. Capitol Police. Eyewitness video captured police repelling the attackers with batons, pepper spray, and tear gas, leaving smoke in the air and blood on the ground.
Nearby office buildings, including one for the House, were ordered to be evacuated. Police in the Cannon House Building were “going door to door yelling at people to evacuate” in the words of a Politico reporter, and staffers were reportedly being evacuated through underground tunnels. Axios’ Alayna Treene reported that Senate staff told journalists in the event protesters entered the building, they would take sanctuary inside the Senate chamber itself.
The day began with an angry, rambling speech by Trump on the White House grounds in front of throngs of supporters where he demanded Vice President Mike Pence, who presides over the certification vote, block electors for Biden. Pence refused, but a large swath of Republicans in Congress voted to challenge the electors in a bid to appease Trump.
This is a developing story.
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