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The rioters broke through metal barricades erected by armed police officers at the foot of the Capitol steps and surrounded the Capitol, disrupting the presidential approval process for President-elect Joe Biden and forcing the evacuation of Vice President Mike Pence and other lawmakers.
A woman was shot and killed by a Capitol police officer during the riots and later died from her injuries, the capital’s police chief Robert Contee II confirmed to reporters Wednesday night without revealing any further details about the circumstances of the incident.
According to him, at least fourteen officers were injured during the riots, one of them seriously.
Finally, the situation was brought under control with the deployment of National Guard soldiers and the arrest of more than a dozen people. By order of the mayor of Washington, Muriel Browser, a curfew was declared, effective from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. In addition, the state of emergency has been extended for another fifteen days and will continue after Joe Biden’s inauguration scheduled for January 20.
In the usual scene of large protests in Washington, the Capitol police “had to prepare for it for many years,” said Daniel Schuman, policy director for the activist organization Demand Progress. “So the question is, why did they fight so horribly?”
This fiasco is also surprising because local authorities were prepared for a thousand crowds of Trump supporters, who gathered again to hear the baseless allegations of the defeat of the presidential election of the losing president, who, incidentally, called for protests.
“They knew the crowd would come, they knew it would be huge, but there was no crowd control preparation, there were no barriers, barricades, cement structures to prevent traffic and human flows,” said Timothy Dimoff, former police officer (SWAT) member of the security consultancy.
A spokesman for the Capitol Police did not respond to requests for comment on the criticism that had been made in preparation for the day.
Shortly after noon, the chaos sparked an incredible incident that was dealt with by the District of Columbia Police, officials from neighboring Virginia and Maryland, and finally the National Guard, who joined forces to take control of the United States Capitol from hands of angry presidential supporters.
“It was clear that the crowd was militant and intended to use chemical stimuli against our officers to break into the US Capitol,” Contee said at an earlier press conference.
© Zuma Press / Scanpix
“What we saw was unlawful and unruly behavior,” Contee said.
Protesters stormed the building, some of them also stormed the Senate Chamber on Capitol Hill and sat on the podium, and one man reportedly even stormed the office of the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives United, Nancy Pelosi.
As can be seen in a video that circulated on social media, a police officer inside the building is trying in vain to arrest more than a dozen protesters who are climbing the stairs.
On the third day, the District of Columbia National Guard summoned its entire 1,100-member team to help regain control, said US Ground Forces Secretary Ryan D. McCarthy. The National Guard has an exceptional status, as it only reports to the president.
At dusk, the police used light sound grenades to dispel the crowds around the building. It was announced Wednesday night that the United States Capitol was safe, about four hours after crowds stormed the building.
The debate over the approval of the Electoral College results soon resumed, although lawmakers were clearly shocked by the day’s events.
Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called the incident on Capitol Hill “Wednesday night” as a “place in our country that won’t wash away so easily.”
Many Republicans blame Donald Trump for the events; his longtime ally, Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, declared that “it is time for the president to acknowledge the election results, stop misleading the American people, and condemn the massive outbreaks of violence.
“Go home now”
Although Trump eventually ordered the irate protesters who stormed the US Capitol to “go home now,” he had previously urged them to help stop the transfer of power.
“President Donald Trump is not ordering to take to the streets and attack the Capitol, but he is urging people to believe the election was stolen,” said Jessica Stern, a professor at Boston University. “The pressure is heating up to the point where they are now inspired to act.”
The Capitol Police describe their mission as “protecting Congress, members of Congress, staff, guests, and the buildings and territory of Congress from crime, destruction, and terrorism.”
The department has more than 2,000 authorized officers and an annual staff of 460 million. Budget in US dollars. In addition, it has more than 350 civil servants who provide administrative and operational assistance.
Steve Saclise of Louisiana, the second most important leader of the Republican Party (GOP), welcomed their efforts.
“They have seen the Capitol Police do what they do every day. They risked their lives for us, ”Scalise said in a statement after security was provided on Capitol Hill. “They keep the Capitol safe, the heroes we love.”
But Democratic spokesman Tim Ryan, chairman of the commission responsible for funding the Capitol Police, told reporters that some law enforcement officials should be fired from their duties.
“It’s pretty obvious that there will be people who will be unemployed very, very soon,” Ohio’s Ryan said at a virtual press conference. He criticized the “lack of professional planning and management of the situation we imagine.”
Ryan, chairman of the House Appropriations Legislative Branch subcommittee, said he had recently spoken with House Maintenance Officer Paul Irving and Capitol Police on Tuesday about the long-planned protests and that he was of course the protesters couldn’t do it. to be allowed “at least a little bit closer to the Capitol,” giving them only the adjacent territory to “protest and express their views,” Ryan said.
Zoe Lofgren, a California state Democrat who presided over the House administration, promised to review the Capitol’s security policy.
Today’s invasion of the United States Capitol raises serious security concerns, Lofgren said in a statement.
The people who climbed the stairs of the Capitol should be stopped immediately and the reinforced forces had to be prepared for that, Ryan said.
“Clearly, the Capitol Police, the building law enforcement officer, and others who were involved in coordinating these efforts here made major planning and strategic mistakes,” Ryan said.
The Society of Capitol Historians of the United States published a message on Wednesday on its website titled “Democracy is stronger than terror.”
In 1800, Congress moved to the Capitol, which is still under construction, and during the War of 1812, in 1814, when Washington was attacked by the British, the building caught fire and was badly damaged.
“The Society of Capitol Historians of the United States is shocked and deeply embarrassed by the terrible disrespect shown today for American values and our Constitution,” the group said. “The United States Capitol is more than a building – it is the epitome of American democracy and our way of life.”
Former Police Chief Captain: Moved
After yesterday’s riots in the United States Capitol, former Capitol Police Chief Terrance Gainer said: “We have fought. We have not guaranteed the safety of the Capitol, so those concerned must take responsibility and explain what happened. “
Speaking in CNN’s New Day newsletter on Thursday, Gainer said the rioters had “outnumbered” the police officers.
They “underestimated his strength” and “overestimated his ability to control a crowd,” Gainer said.
“No one should have been that close to the entrance and the windows of the building,” Gainer said, adding that this circumstance should be thoroughly investigated.
He said watching the police try to arrest the crowd surrounding the building and at the same time dispel the rioters who were horrified inside was a “slow and disgusting process.”
Mr. Gainer explained that services had “misbehaved” with the Black Lives Matter protests in Lafayette Square over the summer.
“I am absolutely sure that the Capitol police tried to be more lenient in meeting with the protesters, but the situation got out of hand,” Gainer said.
Although Gainer emphasized that it would not be fair to compare how the police tried to control two different groups, he added: “It seems to me that this time things were more complicated and profound.”
“It hurts me to see all of this when I know the diligence and professionalism of the Capitol Police and its leaders. They will examine the situation and make sure it doesn’t happen again. But it was a failure. On behalf of the people who had to ensure safety, I apologize. We got together, ”Gainer summarized.
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