While there were many reasons to be stressed out during the 2020 presidential election, one of the major causes for anxiety was the possibility of political violence emerging as the votes were being counted.
Although this was largely avoided, signs remained even after the election was called that anger among Trump supporters, inspired by the belief that the election was “stolen,” would escalate into civil unrest.
And while recent post-election concerns seemed to involve the intention of certain Republican senators and representatives to object to the electoral college’s results, it appears that the nation’s fears regarding chaos have come to pass.
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On January 6, both chambers of Congress met to certify and debate objections to each state’s electoral results.
As NBC 4 reported , this session has thus far seen Arizona Representative Paul Gosar and Texas Senator Ted Cruz object to Arizona’s results.
As the resulting debate unfolded, however, protesters wearing MAGA hats and other pro-Trump paraphernalia could be seen clashing with Capitol Police outside.
By 2:15 pm, the situation escalated and the Capitol building was placed on lockdown as Vice President Mike Pence was led out of the Senate chamber by security personnel.
As The New York Times reported , senators and House representatives were initially locked in their respective chambers but police soon escorted them to other nearby buildings.
Meanwhile, police outside fired flashbang grenades in an effort to disperse the crowd, who only appeared emboldened and pushed forward toward the Capitol building.
After this point, they were captured on video breaking through some of the Capitol’s doors and breaching the complex.
As they pushed their way into the Capitol, which they continue to occupy at the time of this writing, tear gas was reportedly released as some protesters could be seen coughing.
As CNN reported , the unrest thus far has led to investigations of reports that suspicious packages have been discovered outside of the Capitol.
One woman is also in critical condition after suffering a gunshot wound to the chest.
As protesters continued to tour the evacuated House and Senate chambers, the situation outside also escalated.
As CNN reported , an armed standoff was underway as of 3 pm that saw police draw their guns against someone trying to breach the Capitol’s front doors.
As we can see, the Senate chamber itself was breached in the chaos with one intruder making a proclamation from the dais.
As CBS News reported , the unrest appeared to follow a speech from President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. that saw him claim without evidence to have won a second term.
According to CNN , the Senate floor has since been cleared and security personnel are in the process of removing them from the Capitol’s east and west doors.
At present, Capitol Police are working to secure the second floor of the complex, as reported by CNN.
As we can see, DC Metropolitan Police are now receiving support from the FBI as the situation continues to unfold.
According to CBS News , the district of Columbia National Guard has also dispatched 340 agents in response to a request from DC Mayor Muriel Bowser.
While it appears that law enforcement are regaining ground at the time of this writing, the situation remains difficult to predict.