US Capitol Hill siege – Detailed analysis, what is this?
Q. What is the news?
US President Donald Trump’s relentless efforts to reverse the results of the 2020 election took a dangerous turn recently, when an armed and angry mob of his supporters stormed Capitol Hill and clashed with police just as Congress convened to validate Joe Biden’s presidential win.
The pandemonium appears to have deepened the divide within the Republican Party, with several leaders pointing a finger at Donald Trump for inciting violence by urging his supporters to reject the results of the presidential election.
So, what happened at the US Capitol?
The Capitol in Washington DC was placed under lockdown Wednesday after hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the historic building and wreaked havoc in an attempt to stall the certification of the election results.
A raucous group of demonstrators — many of whom were waving ‘Trump 2020’ flags and wearing T-shirts and hats with the president’s signature ‘Keep America Great’ tagline printed — entered the second-floor lobby of the building right outside the Senate chamber, the doors of which were being guarded by law enforcement officials.
The mob managed to get past the guards and enter the Senate chamber, where just moments earlier the election results were being certified.
The protesters roamed through the halls freely, some even entering and looting the offices used by House Speaker and other lawmakers. But the lawmakers from the Senate and the House of Representatives had already been evacuated.
The Trump supporters stopped to take photographs and film themselves as they made their way around the building. Videos show people breaking windows and pushing past barricades to forcefully enter rooms and offices in the Capitol.
Four hours after the breach, officials announced that the demonstrators had been cleared out of the building and the Capitol was secure. Senators were escorted back into the Senate chamber to complete the certification of electoral college votes.
At least four people died in the attack, including one woman who was shot in the chest and killed inside the Capitol building, CNN reported. According to Washington DC police, another woman and two men died in separate medical emergencies.
But what were the incidents that led up to the siege?
Hours before the rioters stormed the US Capitol, huge crowds of Trump supporters had already filled the streets to protest against the certification of Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election. Many had even camped out overnight to catch a glimpse of President Trump and his top advisors and family members at the ‘Save America Rally’ that took place recently at the Ellipse, a park near the White House.
Meanwhile, lawmakers had begun to gather for a joint session in the House of Representatives to count the electoral votes. But when some of the demonstrators began sparring with the police and climbing the walls around the Capitol building, officials ordered the evacuation of the Library of Congress, Madison Building and Cannon House Office Building.
Police attempted to retaliate with tear gas, but were heavily outnumbered and overwhelmed by the mob. After one demonstrator managed to break a window and another the main doors that led up to the House Chamber, the crowd began entering the building in huge numbers.
Why is Trump being blamed for the violence?
Several lawmakers, including members of the Republican Party, have blamed Donald Trump for the violence that broke out in and around the Capitol. At the rally held in Ellipse park, lawmakers and critics have pointed out, the president directed his followers to head to Capitol Hill.
He repeated his claims that the election had been “rigged” by “radical democrats” and the “fake news media”, urging his supporters not to accept the results of the election. “We will never give up. We will never concede. It doesn’t happen. You don’t concede when there’s theft involved,” he said.
What happened after the Capitol Hill attack?
Soon after law enforcement officials were able to clear the building of rioters, the lawmakers — shaken but undeterred — reconvened the joint session to count electoral votes from the presidential election and officially confirm Joe Biden’s victory.
But the damage had already been done. Following the mayhem that ensued within the halls of the Capitol, more than a dozen house Democrats renewed calls for Trump’s impeachment before inauguration day.
The incident also laid bare the fissions within the Republican Party, as several conservative lawmakers, too, called for Trump’s resignation. Among them is Vermont’s Republican Governor Phil Scott, who demanded that Trump either resign himself or be removed from the White House by force.
Most notably, at least two top White House officials have announced their resignation in the wake of the violent protests and several others are considering resigning.
Several others, including national security adviser Robert O’Brien and his deputy, Matthew Pottinger may also soon resign, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Washington DC Mayor extended the public emergency in the country’s capital for another 15 days.
How have lawmakers reacted to the incident?
Lawmakers from both parties, many of whom were present in the Capitol at the time of incident condemned the violent uprising, calling it “despicable” and “unacceptable” and called for peace.
