US Capitol Building placed under lockdown as Trump supporters clash with police

The United States Capitol has been placed under lockdown as thousands of Donald Trump supporters have been clashing with police.

  • Read more: The best anti-Donald Trump protest songs from the past four years

The president’s supporters stormed Capitol Hill today (January 6) to protest the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory in Congress, which resulted in the complex being locked down and nearby office buildings having to be evacuated.

According to Fox News, a number of protesters breached security and got inside the building while others clashed with police outside. Eyewitness video captured police repelling the attackers with batons, pepper spray, and tear gas.

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Elijah Schaffer, a reporter for The Blaze, tweeted: “Trump supporters have breached the Capitol building, tearing down 4 layers of security fencing and are attempting to occupy the building – fighting federal police who are overrun This is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Thousands, police can’t stop them.”

Staff working in the Cannon House Office Building and Madison Building, which houses the Library of Congress, were told to evacuate due to the protests.

Politico‘s Olivia Beavers reports that police in the Cannon House Building were “going door to door yelling at people to evacuate” because of a suspicious package found in the 300 Block of First Street SE.

ABC News is reporting that a woman has been shot inside the Capitol and is seriously injured. It is unclear as to what led to the shooting or if law enforcement was involved. Images have shown officers with weapons drawn.

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In the weeks leading up to today’s rally, officials in Washington had taken steps to curb any potential violence relating to the event.

According to Time, more than 300 National Guard troops had taken positions near the Capitol Building, although Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser asked they not be armed in an effort to avoid the escalation of confrontation.

See more footage and images from the Capitol Building protests below:

Meanwhile, figures from across the world of entertainment have been sharing their reaction to the hotly contested US Senate runoff elections in Georgia, where the Democrats look set to clinch victory.

Two Senate seats are up for grabs in these special run-offs, with overall control of the chamber for the next two years within the Democrats’ reach if they manage to win both elections and split the Senate 50-50.

Incoming Vice President Kamala Harris would then have the casting vote in the Senate, enabling President-elect Joe Biden to push through his agenda when he enters the White House on January 20.







Democrat Raphael Warnock has unseated his Republican rival Kelly Loeffler in the Senate special runoff, while the general election runoff between Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican David Perdue is tighter, although a number of media outlets have either put Ossoff in the lead or called the race in his favour.

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