Donald Trump's supporters stormed a session of Congress held Wednesday to certify Joe Biden's election win, triggering unprecedented chaos and violence at the heart of American democracy and accusations the president was attempting a coup.

Egged on in an extraordinary rally across town by an aggrieved Trump, a flag-waving mob broke down barricades outside the Capitol and swarmed inside, rampaging through offices and onto the usually solemn legislative floors.

It was being said that the on-duty policemen just let the mob take over the premises without showing any resistance. And now there's enough proof to substantiate this.

A user on Twitter posted a yet-unverified clip of how the cops let the agitators enter the Capitol Hill.

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Well, confirmation that the cops literally just let them through <a href="https://t.co/kqhLn4swjq">pic.twitter.com/kqhLn4swjq</a>
— Joshua Potash (@JoshuaPotash) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshuaPotash/status/1346931235176783873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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And then, there were more daring protesters who -- and in real -- clicked selfies with these policemen.

There's proof for this as well.

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Cops are taking selfies with the terrorists. <a href="https://t.co/EjkQ83h1p2">pic.twitter.com/EjkQ83h1p2</a>
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) <a href="https://twitter.com/bubbaprog/status/1346920198461419520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The more responsible security personnel, however, later fired tear gas in a four-hour operation to clear the Capitol. Police said that one woman, reportedly a female Trump partisan from southern California, was shot and killed and that three other people died in the area in circumstances that were unclear.

One Trump backer in jeans and a baseball cap was pictured propping a leg up on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's desk, where a threatening note had been left, as throngs of others climbed onto risers set up for Biden's inauguration on January 20, holding a banner that read: "We the people will bring DC to its knees/We have the power."

Biden called the violence an "insurrection" and demanded that Trump immediately go on national television to tell the rioters to stand down.

Trump soon afterward released a video in which he called on the mob to leave but repeated his unfounded claims of election fraud.

In a major step, social media companies pulled down Trump's video on charges it aggravated violence and Twitter temporarily suspended his account, warning the tweet-loving tycoon of a permanent ban if he does not conform to rules on civic integrity.

Vowing not to be deterred, lawmakers resumed business after dark and voted down the first challenge to Biden's win, with several Trump loyalists reversing course in the wake of the violence that drew shock around the world.

The chaos at the Capitol came a day after Biden enjoyed a new triumph, with his Democrats&nbsp;projected to win two Senate seats in runoffs in Georgia -- handing the party full control of Congress and dramatically increasing Biden's ability to pass legislation, starting with new Covid-19 relief.&nbsp;

Historians said it was the first time that the Capitol had been taken over since 1814 when the British burned it during the War of 1812.

Former president Barack Obama called the violence "a moment of great dishonour and shame for our nation."

"But we'd be kidding ourselves if we treated it as a total surprise," Obama said, adding that it was "incited" by Trump, "who has continued to baselessly lie about the outcome of a lawful election."

Former president George W Bush also did not mince words, denouncing lawmakers' "reckless behavior" and saying: "This is how election results are disputed in a banana republic -- not our democratic republic."

US allies also voiced shock, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson denouncing the "disgraceful scenes" and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas urging Trump backers to "stop trampling on democracy."

Biden won in excess of seven million votes more than Trump in the November 3 election and leads him 306-232 in the state-by-state Electoral College count that determines elections, with Republicans unable to prove in court a single allegation of fraud.

Vowing not to be deterred, lawmakers resumed business after dark and voted down the first challenge to Biden's win, with several Trump loyalists reversing course in the wake of the violence that drew shock around the world. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Donald Trump's supporters stormed a session of Congress held Wednesday to certify Joe Biden's election win, triggering unprecedented chaos and violence at the heart of American democracy and accusations the president was attempting a coup.

Donald Trump's supporters stormed a session of Congress held Wednesday to certify Joe Biden's election win, triggering unprecedented chaos and violence at the heart of American democracy and accusations the president was attempting a coup. Egged on in an extraordinary rally across town by an aggrieved Trump, a flag-waving mob broke down barricades outside the Capitol and swarmed inside, rampaging through offices and onto the usually solemn legislative floors. It was being said that the on-duty policemen just let the mob take over the premises without showing any resistance. And now there's enough proof to substantiate this. A user on Twitter posted a yet-unverified clip of how the cops let the agitators enter the Capitol Hill. Well, confirmation that the cops literally just let them through pic.twitter.com/kqhLn4swjq — Joshua Potash (@JoshuaPotash) January 6, 2021 × And then, there were more daring protesters who -- and in real -- clicked selfies with these policemen. There's proof for this as well. Cops are taking selfies with the terrorists. pic.twitter.com/EjkQ83h1p2 — Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) January 6, 2021 × The more responsible security personnel, however, later fired tear gas in a four-hour operation to clear the Capitol. Police said that one woman, reportedly a female Trump partisan from southern California, was shot and killed and that three other people died in the area in circumstances that were unclear. One Trump backer in jeans and a baseball cap was pictured propping a leg up on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's desk, where a threatening note had been left, as throngs of others climbed onto risers set up for Biden's inauguration on January 20, holding a banner that read: "We the people will bring DC to its knees/We have the power." Biden called the violence an "insurrection" and demanded that Trump immediately go on national television to tell the rioters to stand down. Trump soon afterward released a video in which he called on the mob to leave but repeated his unfounded claims of election fraud. In a major step, social media companies pulled down Trump's video on charges it aggravated violence and Twitter temporarily suspended his account, warning the tweet-loving tycoon of a permanent ban if he does not conform to rules on civic integrity. Vowing not to be deterred, lawmakers resumed business after dark and voted down the first challenge to Biden's win, with several Trump loyalists reversing course in the wake of the violence that drew shock around the world. The chaos at the Capitol came a day after Biden enjoyed a new triumph, with his Democrats projected to win two Senate seats in runoffs in Georgia -- handing the party full control of Congress and dramatically increasing Biden's ability to pass legislation, starting with new Covid-19 relief. Historians said it was the first time that the Capitol had been taken over since 1814 when the British burned it during the War of 1812. Former president Barack Obama called the violence "a moment of great dishonour and shame for our nation." "But we'd be kidding ourselves if we treated it as a total surprise," Obama said, adding that it was "incited" by Trump, "who has continued to baselessly lie about the outcome of a lawful election." Former president George W Bush also did not mince words, denouncing lawmakers' "reckless behavior" and saying: "This is how election results are disputed in a banana republic -- not our democratic republic." US allies also voiced shock, with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson denouncing the "disgraceful scenes" and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas urging Trump backers to "stop trampling on democracy." Biden won in excess of seven million votes more than Trump in the November 3 election and leads him 306-232 in the state-by-state Electoral College count that determines elections, with Republicans unable to prove in court a single allegation of fraud. Vowing not to be deterred, lawmakers resumed business after dark and voted down the first challenge to Biden's win, with several Trump loyalists reversing course in the wake of the violence that drew shock around the world.

Cops had let the mob storm US Capitol without any resistance. And there's proof

Chinese netizens jeered&nbsp;erupted in mirth at America's troubled democracy after supporters of President Donald Trump broke into the US Capitol, comparing the chaos to the Hong Kong anti-government protests of 2019.

They&nbsp;tweeted side-by-side photo comparisons of Hong Kong protesters occupying the city's Legislative Council Complex in July 2019 with Wednesday's Washington riots.

Chinese mouthpiece, Global Times&nbsp;said in the tweet,&nbsp;"@SpeakerPelosi once referred to the Hong Kong riots as 'a beautiful sight to behold."

"It remains yet to be seen whether she will say the same about the recent developments in Capitol Hill."

China's Communist Youth League also described the unrest as a "beautiful sight" on the Twitter-like Weibo platform.

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The Communist Youth League of China on its official Weibo account called the protests on Capitol Hill the most "beautiful site to behold," mocking Nancy Pelosi's description of demonstrations in Hong Kong in 2019. <a href="https://t.co/0tSwwBcVo4">pic.twitter.com/0tSwwBcVo4</a>
— Lily Kuo (@lilkuo) <a href="https://twitter.com/lilkuo/status/1347030019277684736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The hashtag "Trump supporters storm US Capitol" pinballed across Weibo on Thursday, racking up 230 million views, as users compared the global support for Hong Kong's protesters with the outpouring of condemnation for the pro-Trump mob.

"At present, all European countries' leaders have shown double standards and condemned it (Washington rioting)," read one Weibo comment which gained over 5,000 likes.

"I don't know what kind of double-standard reports will be carried by Hong Kong or Taiwan media this time."&nbsp;

"What happened in the Hong Kong Legislative Council last year is being repeated in the US Capitol," wrote another user in a comment with over 4,500 likes.&nbsp;

While the tactics were similar, there are stark differences in the causes and motivations of the two legislature stormings.

Hong Kong protesters broke into their legislature to demand full democracy and halt an unpopular bill that was being pushed through by the city's unelected leadership.

The semi-autonomous Chinese city is not a democracy, the cause of years of popular protests.&nbsp;

China has since responded with a crackdown, imposing a harsh security law on the restless city, arresting scores of critics and smothering dissent.

In contrast, those storming the US Capitol were trying to overturn the results of what has been declared a free and fair presidential election.

US President-elect Joe Biden said the US rioters were undermining democracy by trying to overturn Trump's defeat in November's election.

Chinese netizens jeered erupted in mirth at America's troubled democracy after supporters of President Donald Trump broke into the US Capitol, comparing the chaos to the Hong Kong anti-government protests of 2019.

Chinese netizens jeered erupted in mirth at America's troubled democracy after supporters of President Donald Trump broke into the US Capitol, comparing the chaos to the Hong Kong anti-government protests of 2019. They tweeted side-by-side photo comparisons of Hong Kong protesters occupying the city's Legislative Council Complex in July 2019 with Wednesday's Washington riots. Chinese mouthpiece, Global Times said in the tweet, "@SpeakerPelosi once referred to the Hong Kong riots as 'a beautiful sight to behold." "It remains yet to be seen whether she will say the same about the recent developments in Capitol Hill." China's Communist Youth League also described the unrest as a "beautiful sight" on the Twitter-like Weibo platform. The Communist Youth League of China on its official Weibo account called the protests on Capitol Hill the most "beautiful site to behold," mocking Nancy Pelosi's description of demonstrations in Hong Kong in 2019. pic.twitter.com/0tSwwBcVo4 — Lily Kuo (@lilkuo) January 7, 2021 × The hashtag "Trump supporters storm US Capitol" pinballed across Weibo on Thursday, racking up 230 million views, as users compared the global support for Hong Kong's protesters with the outpouring of condemnation for the pro-Trump mob. "At present, all European countries' leaders have shown double standards and condemned it (Washington rioting)," read one Weibo comment which gained over 5,000 likes. "I don't know what kind of double-standard reports will be carried by Hong Kong or Taiwan media this time." "What happened in the Hong Kong Legislative Council last year is being repeated in the US Capitol," wrote another user in a comment with over 4,500 likes. While the tactics were similar, there are stark differences in the causes and motivations of the two legislature stormings. Hong Kong protesters broke into their legislature to demand full democracy and halt an unpopular bill that was being pushed through by the city's unelected leadership. The semi-autonomous Chinese city is not a democracy, the cause of years of popular protests. China has since responded with a crackdown, imposing a harsh security law on the restless city, arresting scores of critics and smothering dissent. In contrast, those storming the US Capitol were trying to overturn the results of what has been declared a free and fair presidential election. US President-elect Joe Biden said the US rioters were undermining democracy by trying to overturn Trump's defeat in November's election.

Chinese netizens compare US Capitol anarchy to Hong Kong protesters

In pics-Tear gas, explosives and gunfire: Trump supporters storm Capitol, clash with police

Former President Barack Obama blamed Donald Trump and Republicans for the attack on the US Congress Wednesday, calling it "a moment of great dishonour and shame for our nation."

Via a statement on his official Twitter account,&nbsp;Obama&nbsp;said the incident was incited by Republican President Donald Trump, adding that Republican leaders now "have a choice" towards "extinguishing the flames" or "keep stoking the raging fires."

"But we'd be kidding ourselves if we treated it as a total surprise," Obama said, adding that it was "incited" by Trump, "who has continued to baselessly lie about the outcome of a lawful election."

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Here’s my statement on today’s violence at the Capitol. <a href="https://t.co/jLCKo2D1Ya">pic.twitter.com/jLCKo2D1Ya</a>
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) <a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/1346983894298595330?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Obama also singled out the Republican party and its media supporters, whom he said have "too often been unwilling to tell their followers the truth" about Democrat Joe Biden's strong victory in the November 3 election.

"Now we're seeing the consequences, whipped up into a violent crescendo," he said in a statement.

George W. Bush, via a statement released on the George W. Bush Presidential Centre Twitter page, described the scenes as "sickening and heartbreaking," comparing it to a "banana republic". Bill Clinton, also via Twitter, said the incident was "an assault on our Capitol, Constitution, and our country."

Bill Clinton denounced the riot as "unprecedented assault" on the US Capitol and the nation itself.

"Today we faced an unprecedented assault on our Capitol, our Constitution, and our country," the Democratic former president said in a statement.

"The match was lit by Donald Trump and his most ardent enablers, including many in Congress, to overturn the results of an election he lost."

And the oldest member of the exclusive club, 96-year-old Democrat Jimmy Carter, said he was "troubled" by Wednesday's scenes, which he called a "national tragedy."&nbsp;

"We join our fellow citizens in praying for a peaceful resolution so our nation can heal and complete the transfer of power as we have for more than two centuries," he said in a statement.

Former President Barack Obama blamed Donald Trump and Republicans for the attack on the US Congress Wednesday, calling it "a moment of great dishonour and shame for our nation.

Former President Barack Obama blamed Donald Trump and Republicans for the attack on the US Congress Wednesday, calling it "a moment of great dishonour and shame for our nation." Via a statement on his official Twitter account, Obama said the incident was incited by Republican President Donald Trump, adding that Republican leaders now "have a choice" towards "extinguishing the flames" or "keep stoking the raging fires." "But we'd be kidding ourselves if we treated it as a total surprise," Obama said, adding that it was "incited" by Trump, "who has continued to baselessly lie about the outcome of a lawful election." Here’s my statement on today’s violence at the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/jLCKo2D1Ya — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 7, 2021 × Obama also singled out the Republican party and its media supporters, whom he said have "too often been unwilling to tell their followers the truth" about Democrat Joe Biden's strong victory in the November 3 election. "Now we're seeing the consequences, whipped up into a violent crescendo," he said in a statement. George W. Bush, via a statement released on the George W. Bush Presidential Centre Twitter page, described the scenes as "sickening and heartbreaking," comparing it to a "banana republic". Bill Clinton, also via Twitter, said the incident was "an assault on our Capitol, Constitution, and our country." Bill Clinton denounced the riot as "unprecedented assault" on the US Capitol and the nation itself. "Today we faced an unprecedented assault on our Capitol, our Constitution, and our country," the Democratic former president said in a statement. "The match was lit by Donald Trump and his most ardent enablers, including many in Congress, to overturn the results of an election he lost." And the oldest member of the exclusive club, 96-year-old Democrat Jimmy Carter, said he was "troubled" by Wednesday's scenes, which he called a "national tragedy." "We join our fellow citizens in praying for a peaceful resolution so our nation can heal and complete the transfer of power as we have for more than two centuries," he said in a statement.

Former US President Barack Obama says attack on US Congress 'great shame' but not surprising

As violence at the US Capitol underlined deep divisions in America on Wednesday, NBA players said the incident helped renew their commitment to fight racial injustice.

Boston Celtics and Miami Heat players knelt during the national anthem before their game in Miami on Wednesday, hours after supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol as legislators met to certify Joe Biden's victory in the November election.

The players issued a joint statement referring not only to the chaotic events in Washington but also to the decision on Tuesday by prosecutors in Wisconsin not to charge the white police officer who shot and paralyzed Black man Jacob Blake in Kenosha last August.

Protests of Blake's shooting brought the NBA to a standstill for three days in August in a protest of racial injustice that soon spread across an array of sports.

"2021 is a new year, but some things have not changed," the Celtics and Heat players said in their statement.

"We play tonight's game with a heavy heart after yesterday's decision in Kenosha and knowing that protesters in our nation's capital are treated differently by political leaders depending on what side of certain issues they are on.

"The drastic difference between the way protesters this past spring and summer were treated and the encouragement given to today's protesters who acted illegally just shows how much more work we have to do.

"We have decided to play tonight's game to try to bring joy into people's lives.

"But we must not forget the injustices in our society, and we will continue to use our voices and our platform to highlight these issues and do everything we can to work for a more equal and just America."

In Philadelphia, 76ers coach Doc Rivers was blunt in his assessment of the scene at the Capitol.

"It's pretty disturbing and sad," he said. "I keep hearing, 'This is an attack on democracy.' It's not. Democracy will prevail. It always does.

"It shows a lot though. I'll say it because I don't think a lot of people want to -- could you imagine today if those were all Black people storming into the Capitol and what would've happened?

"It's a sad day in a lot of ways. But it's a part of what we are and so we have to solve it."

In Milwaukee, the host Bucks and the Detroit Pistons both took turnovers on their first possessions.

The Bucks won the opening tip off and NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo simply held the ball as all the players took a knee. On the ensuing Detroit possession, Pistons star Blake Griffin held the ball and all 10 players on court took a knee again.

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr admitted that it was hard to concentrate on basketball.

"I started the day thinking about how we were going to guard Lou Williams without fouling him," Kerr said. "Suddenly that didn't seem quite as important.

"Just a bizarre scene, but a pretty clear reminder that the truth matters," Kerr said.

"A legitimate election is suddenly questioned by millions of people, including many of the people who are leading our country in government, because we've decided to -- over the last few years -- allow lies to be told. So, this is who we are," Kerr said. "You reap what you sow."

As violence at the US Capitol underlined deep divisions in America on Wednesday, NBA players said the incident helped renew their commitment to fight racial injustice.

As violence at the US Capitol underlined deep divisions in America on Wednesday, NBA players said the incident helped renew their commitment to fight racial injustice. Boston Celtics and Miami Heat players knelt during the national anthem before their game in Miami on Wednesday, hours after supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol as legislators met to certify Joe Biden's victory in the November election. The players issued a joint statement referring not only to the chaotic events in Washington but also to the decision on Tuesday by prosecutors in Wisconsin not to charge the white police officer who shot and paralyzed Black man Jacob Blake in Kenosha last August. Protests of Blake's shooting brought the NBA to a standstill for three days in August in a protest of racial injustice that soon spread across an array of sports. "2021 is a new year, but some things have not changed," the Celtics and Heat players said in their statement. "We play tonight's game with a heavy heart after yesterday's decision in Kenosha and knowing that protesters in our nation's capital are treated differently by political leaders depending on what side of certain issues they are on. "The drastic difference between the way protesters this past spring and summer were treated and the encouragement given to today's protesters who acted illegally just shows how much more work we have to do. "We have decided to play tonight's game to try to bring joy into people's lives. "But we must not forget the injustices in our society, and we will continue to use our voices and our platform to highlight these issues and do everything we can to work for a more equal and just America." In Philadelphia, 76ers coach Doc Rivers was blunt in his assessment of the scene at the Capitol. "It's pretty disturbing and sad," he said. "I keep hearing, 'This is an attack on democracy.' It's not. Democracy will prevail. It always does. "It shows a lot though. I'll say it because I don't think a lot of people want to -- could you imagine today if those were all Black people storming into the Capitol and what would've happened? "It's a sad day in a lot of ways. But it's a part of what we are and so we have to solve it." In Milwaukee, the host Bucks and the Detroit Pistons both took turnovers on their first possessions. The Bucks won the opening tip off and NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo simply held the ball as all the players took a knee. On the ensuing Detroit possession, Pistons star Blake Griffin held the ball and all 10 players on court took a knee again. Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr admitted that it was hard to concentrate on basketball. "I started the day thinking about how we were going to guard Lou Williams without fouling him," Kerr said. "Suddenly that didn't seem quite as important. "Just a bizarre scene, but a pretty clear reminder that the truth matters," Kerr said. "A legitimate election is suddenly questioned by millions of people, including many of the people who are leading our country in government, because we've decided to -- over the last few years -- allow lies to be told. So, this is who we are," Kerr said. "You reap what you sow."

After chaos at Capitol NBA players reaffirm racial justice commitment

Americans looked on in shock Wednesday as a calm protest turned into an angry mob that swarmed past barriers and stormed the Capitol — spraying officers with chemical agents, breaking windows and doors and looting sizable objects — as the Capitol Police struggled to contain the violence and sometimes simply retreated.

The police force, which numbers about 2,000 officers and has sole jurisdiction over the Capitol’s buildings and grounds, was clearly outnumbered and unprepared for the onslaught, even as it was openly organized on social media sites like Gab and Parler.

It took more than two hours, and reinforcements from other law enforcement agencies, before the order was restored. One woman who appeared to have wrapped herself in a flag was fatally shot by a Capitol Police officer, according to Robert Contee, chief of the city’s Metropolitan Police Department, which was called in for backup. Another woman and two men died during the events because of as-yet unspecified medical emergencies, he said.

At least 52 people were arrested, he said, including five on weapons charges and at least 26 on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol. Most of the arrests were for violating the 6 p.m. curfew, he said, adding that the police would circulate pictures of those sought for breaching the Capitol building. In addition, pipe bombs were found at the headquarters of both the Republican and the Democratic national committees and a cooler containing a long gun and Molotov cocktails was discovered on the Capitol grounds, the chief said.

The criticism of the Capitol Police was swift and, in some quarters, unforgiving.

Some law enforcement experts were astonished by the sight of an officer cowering in the crush of pro-Trump extremists and rioters using police shields and metal barricades as battering rams.

And protesters on the left saw a stark double standard, saying they had been hit with rubber bullets, manhandled, surrounded and arrested while behaving peacefully during demonstrations against racial injustice over the summer.

Attica Scott, a state representative in Kentucky, was arrested in Louisville on felony charges that were later dropped during the many months of protest over the death of Breonna Taylor in a botched police raid. “You can be arrested for walking while Black,” she said, “but you can be white and riot and basically get away with it.”

President Donald Trump’s own rhetoric has included stark contrasts toward protests. After George Floyd’s death, he called demonstrators “thugs” and promised that those who got out of line near the White House would be met with “the most vicious dogs, and most ominous weapons, I have ever seen.” Federal law enforcement officers swept people into unmarked vans and used pepper spray to clear peaceful protesters so that Trump could pose for photos in front of a church.

But on Wednesday, after he gave a rally where he said he would “never concede,” he was far kinder to those who proceeded to storm the Capitol. Hours after the riot began, he finally posted a video saying, “You have to go home now.” He added, “We love you.”

After the rally, at around 1 p.m., crowds amassed at the temporary perimeter fence that had been set up around the Capitol and grew increasingly animated. “There was a noticeable change in their demeanour,” Contee said.

One policing expert said there should have been a heavily manned perimeter sealing off the entire Capitol grounds and a second around the building itself given that extremist groups with a history of violent confrontations were involved.

“How they were not ready for this today, I have no idea,” said Charles Ramsey, a former D.C. police chief. “They were overwhelmed, they did not have the resources. You have to be able to protect the Capitol. That is not OK.”

The Capitol Police did not answer the phone or email, or put out any statements about the incident.

Members of Congress demanded explanations as well. “We must investigate the security breach at the Capitol today,” Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said on Twitter. “I warned our Caucus and had an hour-long conversation with the Chief of Police 4 days ago. He assured me the terrorists would not be allowed on the plaza &amp;amp; Capitol secured.”

Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., said in an interview with MSNBC on Wednesday night that the Capitol Police appeared understaffed. “It did not seem that they had a clear operational plan to really deal with” thousands of people who descended on the Capitol after Trump’s complaints of a “rigged election,” she said.

Ramsey said police officers in riot gear should have been stationed nearby.

The officers at the perimeter were easily overwhelmed, with the crowds — some in body armor — jostling them and spraying them with chemical plumes. On the east side of the Capitol, the rioters who broke through the perimeter then confronted a line of officers on the steps, a video shows. Those officers eventually retreated up the stairs, allowing the crowd to follow.

Another video shows officers appearing to move the barricades aside and let the protesters in. Protesters scaled walls and scaffolding, hoisted themselves up on a maintenance platform, posed for photos and vandalized office signs.

Some experts defended the police, noting that the Capitol Police deals with protests, both inside and outside the building, legal and illegal, on a regular basis, but they are nothing like this.

“This isn’t what happens at the U.S. Capitol,” said Chuck Wexler, the executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a think tank in Washington. “This is completely unprecedented. This is as close to a 9/11 attack as you can think of, in that no one has ever done this before.”

Wexler said legitimate questions would be raised about why more officers were not on hand and why they did not anticipate the threat. But he laid most of the blame on political leaders who legitimize violent groups. “If the president tells his supporters, ‘This is what I want you to do,’ that could be more valuable than a thousand cops,” he said.

Chief Michel Moore of the Los Angeles Police Department said it was unrealistic to expect the police to quell “people who are hell-bent on destruction.”

“They used violence against the police. They attacked the sacred Capitol and the Rotunda and then used tear gas or chemical agents, and physical attacks,” he said. “And what troubles me is the first thought was, well, why wasn’t the law enforcement better prepared?”

If the Capitol Police did not anticipate violence, the city did. Mayor Muriel Bowser called in the National Guard to supplement the city’s police force and warned counterprotesters and D.C. residents to stay away from planned pro-Trump actions Tuesday and Wednesday.

On Monday, the city police arrested Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys, a far-right fraternity that uses street thuggery as political theater. Tarrio, who had two high-capacity firearm magazines, was wanted after bragging online about burning a Black Lives Matter banner taken from a historic Black church during protests last month. He was released but ordered to stay out of D.C.

The Proud Boys have been beating the drum for months for confrontations in support of Trump. In a statement on one of their social media channels after the storming of the U.S. Capitol, the Proud Boys attempted to justify the violence by saying that they were only copying the tactics of leftist protesters.

But Ja’Mal Green, a Chicago-based activist, said there was no comparison between the tactics or the response. “We all know if Black Lives Matter would have stormed the Capitol, there would have been deadly force used to protect that building, especially because it’s a federal building,” he said. “We today saw what it means for white people to have the privilege.”

Americans looked on in shock Wednesday as a calm protest turned into an angry mob that swarmed past barriers and stormed the Capitol — spraying officers with chemical agents, breaking windows and doors and looting sizable objects — as the Capitol Police struggled to contain the violence and sometimes simply retreated.

Americans looked on in shock Wednesday as a calm protest turned into an angry mob that swarmed past barriers and stormed the Capitol — spraying officers with chemical agents, breaking windows and doors and looting sizable objects — as the Capitol Police struggled to contain the violence and sometimes simply retreated. The police force, which numbers about 2,000 officers and has sole jurisdiction over the Capitol’s buildings and grounds, was clearly outnumbered and unprepared for the onslaught, even as it was openly organized on social media sites like Gab and Parler. It took more than two hours, and reinforcements from other law enforcement agencies, before the order was restored. One woman who appeared to have wrapped herself in a flag was fatally shot by a Capitol Police officer, according to Robert Contee, chief of the city’s Metropolitan Police Department, which was called in for backup. Another woman and two men died during the events because of as-yet unspecified medical emergencies, he said. At least 52 people were arrested, he said, including five on weapons charges and at least 26 on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol. Most of the arrests were for violating the 6 p.m. curfew, he said, adding that the police would circulate pictures of those sought for breaching the Capitol building. In addition, pipe bombs were found at the headquarters of both the Republican and the Democratic national committees and a cooler containing a long gun and Molotov cocktails was discovered on the Capitol grounds, the chief said. The criticism of the Capitol Police was swift and, in some quarters, unforgiving. Some law enforcement experts were astonished by the sight of an officer cowering in the crush of pro-Trump extremists and rioters using police shields and metal barricades as battering rams. And protesters on the left saw a stark double standard, saying they had been hit with rubber bullets, manhandled, surrounded and arrested while behaving peacefully during demonstrations against racial injustice over the summer. Attica Scott, a state representative in Kentucky, was arrested in Louisville on felony charges that were later dropped during the many months of protest over the death of Breonna Taylor in a botched police raid. “You can be arrested for walking while Black,” she said, “but you can be white and riot and basically get away with it.” President Donald Trump’s own rhetoric has included stark contrasts toward protests. After George Floyd’s death, he called demonstrators “thugs” and promised that those who got out of line near the White House would be met with “the most vicious dogs, and most ominous weapons, I have ever seen.” Federal law enforcement officers swept people into unmarked vans and used pepper spray to clear peaceful protesters so that Trump could pose for photos in front of a church. But on Wednesday, after he gave a rally where he said he would “never concede,” he was far kinder to those who proceeded to storm the Capitol. Hours after the riot began, he finally posted a video saying, “You have to go home now.” He added, “We love you.” After the rally, at around 1 p.m., crowds amassed at the temporary perimeter fence that had been set up around the Capitol and grew increasingly animated. “There was a noticeable change in their demeanour,” Contee said. One policing expert said there should have been a heavily manned perimeter sealing off the entire Capitol grounds and a second around the building itself given that extremist groups with a history of violent confrontations were involved. “How they were not ready for this today, I have no idea,” said Charles Ramsey, a former D.C. police chief. “They were overwhelmed, they did not have the resources. You have to be able to protect the Capitol. That is not OK.” The Capitol Police did not answer the phone or email, or put out any statements about the incident. Members of Congress demanded explanations as well. “We must investigate the security breach at the Capitol today,” Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said on Twitter. “I warned our Caucus and had an hour-long conversation with the Chief of Police 4 days ago. He assured me the terrorists would not be allowed on the plaza &amp; Capitol secured.” Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., said in an interview with MSNBC on Wednesday night that the Capitol Police appeared understaffed. “It did not seem that they had a clear operational plan to really deal with” thousands of people who descended on the Capitol after Trump’s complaints of a “rigged election,” she said. Ramsey said police officers in riot gear should have been stationed nearby. The officers at the perimeter were easily overwhelmed, with the crowds — some in body armor — jostling them and spraying them with chemical plumes. On the east side of the Capitol, the rioters who broke through the perimeter then confronted a line of officers on the steps, a video shows. Those officers eventually retreated up the stairs, allowing the crowd to follow. Another video shows officers appearing to move the barricades aside and let the protesters in. Protesters scaled walls and scaffolding, hoisted themselves up on a maintenance platform, posed for photos and vandalized office signs. Some experts defended the police, noting that the Capitol Police deals with protests, both inside and outside the building, legal and illegal, on a regular basis, but they are nothing like this. “This isn’t what happens at the U.S. Capitol,” said Chuck Wexler, the executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a think tank in Washington. “This is completely unprecedented. This is as close to a 9/11 attack as you can think of, in that no one has ever done this before.” Wexler said legitimate questions would be raised about why more officers were not on hand and why they did not anticipate the threat. But he laid most of the blame on political leaders who legitimize violent groups. “If the president tells his supporters, ‘This is what I want you to do,’ that could be more valuable than a thousand cops,” he said. Chief Michel Moore of the Los Angeles Police Department said it was unrealistic to expect the police to quell “people who are hell-bent on destruction.” “They used violence against the police. They attacked the sacred Capitol and the Rotunda and then used tear gas or chemical agents, and physical attacks,” he said. “And what troubles me is the first thought was, well, why wasn’t the law enforcement better prepared?” If the Capitol Police did not anticipate violence, the city did. Mayor Muriel Bowser called in the National Guard to supplement the city’s police force and warned counterprotesters and D.C. residents to stay away from planned pro-Trump actions Tuesday and Wednesday. On Monday, the city police arrested Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys, a far-right fraternity that uses street thuggery as political theater. Tarrio, who had two high-capacity firearm magazines, was wanted after bragging online about burning a Black Lives Matter banner taken from a historic Black church during protests last month. He was released but ordered to stay out of D.C. The Proud Boys have been beating the drum for months for confrontations in support of Trump. In a statement on one of their social media channels after the storming of the U.S. Capitol, the Proud Boys attempted to justify the violence by saying that they were only copying the tactics of leftist protesters. But Ja’Mal Green, a Chicago-based activist, said there was no comparison between the tactics or the response. “We all know if Black Lives Matter would have stormed the Capitol, there would have been deadly force used to protect that building, especially because it’s a federal building,” he said. “We today saw what it means for white people to have the privilege.”

Capitol breach draws sharp condemnation of law enforcement

The mob of Trump supporters pressed through police barricades, broke windows and battered their way with metal poles through entrances to the Capitol. Then, stunningly, they breached the “People’s House” itself, forcing masked police officers to draw their guns to keep the insurgents off the chamber floor.

“I thought we’d have to fight our way out,” said Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., a former Army Ranger in Iraq, who found himself captive in the House chamber.

What unfolded at that point, at times on national television, was a tableau of violence and mayhem that shocked the nation, one of the most severe breaches of the Capitol since the British invaded during the War of 1812 and burned it down.

An armed standoff ensued in the House chamber, with police officers drawing their weapons. A pro-Trump protester casually monkeyed around at the dais of the Senate. Intruders in Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s suite overturned desks and smashed photos. Others ripped artwork in Senate hideaway offices.

“This is what the president has caused today, this insurrection,” Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said as he and other senators were hustled off to a secure location.

Some of the protesters gawked at the grand and storied building they had unlawfully flooded while others looked at it with contempt.

“I don’t trust any of these people,” said Eric Martin, 49, a woodworker from Charleston, South Carolina, as he marveled at the opulence of the Capitol and helped a friend wash pepper spray from his eyes. “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

But if some only stared at the Capitol, others resorted to violence. A woman inside the building was shot and later died, the District of Columbia police said, and multiple officers were injured. Two explosive devices were found around noon near the headquarters of the Republican National Committee, then destroyed by a bomb squad. And the federal authorities arrested a 70-year-old man from Alabama near the Capitol in possession of a firearm and materials to make several Molotov cocktails.

By Wednesday evening, the scene outside the Capitol had calmed, after Capitol Police, supplemented by FBI agents and Homeland Security officers with members of the National Guard on their way, squeezed protesters from every corner of the Capitol to the majestic Rotunda, then persuaded them to leave.

Before that was mayhem. At one point, as lawmakers and staff members were rushing out of a Senate chamber under assault, aides rushed back to grab boxes containing the Electoral College certificates, making sure that the protesters could not literally steal the results of the election.

It began around 1 p.m., when a mass of Trump supporters, some in camouflage and armed with baseball bats or knives, left the National Mall and, encouraged by President Donald Trump, ascended on the Capitol complex. Leaders exhorted the crowd through megaphones, “This is our house” and “Move forward!”

The few police officers standing on the steps of the Capitol were overwhelmed. Their flash-bang grenades only invigorated the protesters. Around 2:30 p.m., an entrance near the west side of the Capitol descended into chaos as a wave of Trump supporters wearing Make America Great Again apparel pressed passed police barricades.

On the east side of the complex, people banged on the glass windows. Crowds charged past the front columns, and some pressed their faces into the glass. Others in camouflage used poles to batter an entrance to the building, breaking it open. The crowd then rushed through, passing through metal detectors as one man blared a Trump speech about the “stolen” election through a speaker.

For about an hour, the Trump loyalists went in and out of at least one entrance of the Capitol with little disruption from the police.

As debate progressed in the House chamber over a Republican protest of Arizona’s Electoral College votes for President-elect Joe Biden, few lawmakers knew of the commotion. But Capitol Police officers were quietly locking down the building, instructing everyone in the hallways to shelter in place and preparing reporters for the possibility of doing so in the chamber.

Soon, a nervous energy pulsed through the room. The police began to close the gallery doors, which had remained open to allow for better ventilation as lawmakers streamed in. Congressional leaders were quickly ushered out, as staff aides urged lawmakers in the gallery and on the floor to remain calm.

“This is because of you,” Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., yelled from the gallery at his Republican colleagues.

Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., and a former Pentagon official, was on her way to the House chamber when she heard screaming, breaking glass, and what sounded like a flash bang. She returned to her office, locked the door, offered shelter to a colleague and began working the phones.

One of her first calls was to Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to plead for help from the National Guard.

“I said, ‘Mark, I absolutely understand that you are between a rock and a hard place. But we need help here. There are weapons,’” she said.

In the House, just after 2:30 p.m., a police officer stepped on the dais and informed lawmakers that they might need to duck under their chairs.

“We now have individuals that have breached the Capitol building,” he said, warning them to be prepared to relocate to the cloakrooms. “They are in the Rotunda.”

Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., a veteran, jumped on the armrests&nbsp;of chairs and began directing members to move calmly and quickly from the chamber. Frantic shouting filled the room as lawmakers struggled to unfold the plastic bags that they were instructed to put over their heads in case of tear gas. Police officers and members of the floor staff began yelling for lawmakers to exit.

A wooden chest was pushed in front of the main doors to the chamber. Security officers drew their guns, pointing and shouting at the entrance, as lawmakers, staff aides and reporters cowered in the top levels of the chamber. There was a bang, and everyone was told to get down.

Shortly after 2:45, the evacuation resumed. With the police in the lead, guns drawn, the lawmakers entered a scene of havoc, Crow said. Some police officers scrambled to barricade other doors to block pro-Trump extremists. Others pinned some protesters to the ground to allow the lawmakers to pass.

“We heard yelling through the halls,” said Crow, who said he brought up the rear to ensure all the members made it to safety. As the police led the members down stairwells and into the subterranean maze of tunnels to a secure location, Crow said he called his wife in Colorado, who had been watching the scene on television.

But the mob continued to stream in. A young man in a red baseball hat was helping people through a broken window. Inside, two large wooden desks were on their sides, broken. Two large panels of glass were crushed on the colourful tile floor.

In a surreal scene of chaos and glee, hundreds of Trump loyalists roamed the halls, taking photos and breaking into offices. No police officers were in view. In a room where there were images of mountains and maps of Oregon on the wall, a man in a leather jacket ripped a scroll with Chinese characters. A young man put a framed picture of the Dalai Lama in his backpack.

“We’re claiming the House, and the Senate is ours,” shouted a sweaty man in a checked shirt, shouted, stabbing his finger in the air.

Nearby in the first-floor Crypt, the heart of the Capitol building, the police appeared to be overwhelmed. One wiped tear gas from his eyes.

When a man approached to ask where the bathroom was, he said softly, “We just need you guys to get out of here safely.”

An officer with the U.S. Capitol Police tried to reason with the crowd.

“You guys just need to go outside,” he said to a man in a green backpack. Asked why the police were not forcing the mob out, the officer said, “We just got to let them do their thing for now.”

Another officer stood by a stairway, watching everything unfold and answering a few questions, including directing a woman to the bathroom. One protester came up to him and shouted in his face, “Traitor!” When another man approached to apologize to the officer, the officer replied, “You’re fine.”

“Everybody’s been OK today, except that guy,” he said, motioning to the yeller.

Most of the crowd in the Crypt just milled around. A young man in a red Trump hat smoked a cigarette. Several men shouted and screamed. A man in a backpack with two American flags jumped up and down underneath a chandelier, yelling, “Whose house,” as the crowd answered, “our house.” The sound boomed and reverberated around the tile and marble, as the police looked on.

Around 3:30 p.m., about 25 police officers had entered the Crypt and started asking people to move back. A few minutes later, dozens more, wearing riot gear and some in gas masks, ejected the roughly 150 protesters in the Crypt. But not before one man marched through the halls of Congress with a Confederate flag while another protester raised a Trump flag from the balcony of the Capitol.

Protesters repeatedly exited from the building bearing trophies that they had torn off walls. A few carried “Area Closed” signs that they had snatched and then stormed past. But it was objects stolen from Pelosi’s office were especially popular.

One man emerged from the risers set up on the steps of the Capitol, wielding a piece of a wooden plaque that marked the entrance to Pelosi’s office.

He held it up like a trophy, as hundreds of people on the steps below cheered wildly. “Not our speaker!” shouted one woman. “Get her out!” shouted another man.

Another man, Richard Bigo Barnett, 60, stood outside the Capitol, his shirt ripped open and his chest bared to the cold, bragging about how he had gotten into the speaker’s office. He was brandishing an envelope with the speaker’s letterhead.

“I left a quarter on her desk for it,” he said, adding, “I wrote her a nasty note, put my feet up on her desk.”

Others turned their vitriol on the police.

“We backed you,” one man shouted at the line of officers outside. “Traitors!”

By 7 p.m., the presence of police officers and federal agents had drastically increased along the National Mall. Officers pushed back against aggressive protesters as they prepared for the possibility of more potential unrest overnight.

At the Capitol, lawmakers prepared to resume their session counting electoral votes that would end the Trump presidency.

“We want to go back,” Crow said. “And finish the business of the people to show that we are a democracy, and that the government is stronger than any mob.”

The mob of Trump supporters pressed through police barricades, broke windows and battered their way with metal poles through entrances to the Capitol. Then, stunningly, they breached the “People’s House” itself, forcing masked police officers to draw their guns to keep the insurgents off the chamber floor.

The mob of Trump supporters pressed through police barricades, broke windows and battered their way with metal poles through entrances to the Capitol. Then, stunningly, they breached the “People’s House” itself, forcing masked police officers to draw their guns to keep the insurgents off the chamber floor. “I thought we’d have to fight our way out,” said Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., a former Army Ranger in Iraq, who found himself captive in the House chamber. What unfolded at that point, at times on national television, was a tableau of violence and mayhem that shocked the nation, one of the most severe breaches of the Capitol since the British invaded during the War of 1812 and burned it down. An armed standoff ensued in the House chamber, with police officers drawing their weapons. A pro-Trump protester casually monkeyed around at the dais of the Senate. Intruders in Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s suite overturned desks and smashed photos. Others ripped artwork in Senate hideaway offices. “This is what the president has caused today, this insurrection,” Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said as he and other senators were hustled off to a secure location. Some of the protesters gawked at the grand and storied building they had unlawfully flooded while others looked at it with contempt. “I don’t trust any of these people,” said Eric Martin, 49, a woodworker from Charleston, South Carolina, as he marveled at the opulence of the Capitol and helped a friend wash pepper spray from his eyes. “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” But if some only stared at the Capitol, others resorted to violence. A woman inside the building was shot and later died, the District of Columbia police said, and multiple officers were injured. Two explosive devices were found around noon near the headquarters of the Republican National Committee, then destroyed by a bomb squad. And the federal authorities arrested a 70-year-old man from Alabama near the Capitol in possession of a firearm and materials to make several Molotov cocktails. By Wednesday evening, the scene outside the Capitol had calmed, after Capitol Police, supplemented by FBI agents and Homeland Security officers with members of the National Guard on their way, squeezed protesters from every corner of the Capitol to the majestic Rotunda, then persuaded them to leave. Before that was mayhem. At one point, as lawmakers and staff members were rushing out of a Senate chamber under assault, aides rushed back to grab boxes containing the Electoral College certificates, making sure that the protesters could not literally steal the results of the election. It began around 1 p.m., when a mass of Trump supporters, some in camouflage and armed with baseball bats or knives, left the National Mall and, encouraged by President Donald Trump, ascended on the Capitol complex. Leaders exhorted the crowd through megaphones, “This is our house” and “Move forward!” The few police officers standing on the steps of the Capitol were overwhelmed. Their flash-bang grenades only invigorated the protesters. Around 2:30 p.m., an entrance near the west side of the Capitol descended into chaos as a wave of Trump supporters wearing Make America Great Again apparel pressed passed police barricades. On the east side of the complex, people banged on the glass windows. Crowds charged past the front columns, and some pressed their faces into the glass. Others in camouflage used poles to batter an entrance to the building, breaking it open. The crowd then rushed through, passing through metal detectors as one man blared a Trump speech about the “stolen” election through a speaker. For about an hour, the Trump loyalists went in and out of at least one entrance of the Capitol with little disruption from the police. As debate progressed in the House chamber over a Republican protest of Arizona’s Electoral College votes for President-elect Joe Biden, few lawmakers knew of the commotion. But Capitol Police officers were quietly locking down the building, instructing everyone in the hallways to shelter in place and preparing reporters for the possibility of doing so in the chamber. Soon, a nervous energy pulsed through the room. The police began to close the gallery doors, which had remained open to allow for better ventilation as lawmakers streamed in. Congressional leaders were quickly ushered out, as staff aides urged lawmakers in the gallery and on the floor to remain calm. “This is because of you,” Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., yelled from the gallery at his Republican colleagues. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., and a former Pentagon official, was on her way to the House chamber when she heard screaming, breaking glass, and what sounded like a flash bang. She returned to her office, locked the door, offered shelter to a colleague and began working the phones. One of her first calls was to Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to plead for help from the National Guard. “I said, ‘Mark, I absolutely understand that you are between a rock and a hard place. But we need help here. There are weapons,’” she said. In the House, just after 2:30 p.m., a police officer stepped on the dais and informed lawmakers that they might need to duck under their chairs. “We now have individuals that have breached the Capitol building,” he said, warning them to be prepared to relocate to the cloakrooms. “They are in the Rotunda.” Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., a veteran, jumped on the armrests of chairs and began directing members to move calmly and quickly from the chamber. Frantic shouting filled the room as lawmakers struggled to unfold the plastic bags that they were instructed to put over their heads in case of tear gas. Police officers and members of the floor staff began yelling for lawmakers to exit. A wooden chest was pushed in front of the main doors to the chamber. Security officers drew their guns, pointing and shouting at the entrance, as lawmakers, staff aides and reporters cowered in the top levels of the chamber. There was a bang, and everyone was told to get down. Shortly after 2:45, the evacuation resumed. With the police in the lead, guns drawn, the lawmakers entered a scene of havoc, Crow said. Some police officers scrambled to barricade other doors to block pro-Trump extremists. Others pinned some protesters to the ground to allow the lawmakers to pass. “We heard yelling through the halls,” said Crow, who said he brought up the rear to ensure all the members made it to safety. As the police led the members down stairwells and into the subterranean maze of tunnels to a secure location, Crow said he called his wife in Colorado, who had been watching the scene on television. But the mob continued to stream in. A young man in a red baseball hat was helping people through a broken window. Inside, two large wooden desks were on their sides, broken. Two large panels of glass were crushed on the colourful tile floor. In a surreal scene of chaos and glee, hundreds of Trump loyalists roamed the halls, taking photos and breaking into offices. No police officers were in view. In a room where there were images of mountains and maps of Oregon on the wall, a man in a leather jacket ripped a scroll with Chinese characters. A young man put a framed picture of the Dalai Lama in his backpack. “We’re claiming the House, and the Senate is ours,” shouted a sweaty man in a checked shirt, shouted, stabbing his finger in the air. Nearby in the first-floor Crypt, the heart of the Capitol building, the police appeared to be overwhelmed. One wiped tear gas from his eyes. When a man approached to ask where the bathroom was, he said softly, “We just need you guys to get out of here safely.” An officer with the U.S. Capitol Police tried to reason with the crowd. “You guys just need to go outside,” he said to a man in a green backpack. Asked why the police were not forcing the mob out, the officer said, “We just got to let them do their thing for now.” Another officer stood by a stairway, watching everything unfold and answering a few questions, including directing a woman to the bathroom. One protester came up to him and shouted in his face, “Traitor!” When another man approached to apologize to the officer, the officer replied, “You’re fine.” “Everybody’s been OK today, except that guy,” he said, motioning to the yeller. Most of the crowd in the Crypt just milled around. A young man in a red Trump hat smoked a cigarette. Several men shouted and screamed. A man in a backpack with two American flags jumped up and down underneath a chandelier, yelling, “Whose house,” as the crowd answered, “our house.” The sound boomed and reverberated around the tile and marble, as the police looked on. Around 3:30 p.m., about 25 police officers had entered the Crypt and started asking people to move back. A few minutes later, dozens more, wearing riot gear and some in gas masks, ejected the roughly 150 protesters in the Crypt. But not before one man marched through the halls of Congress with a Confederate flag while another protester raised a Trump flag from the balcony of the Capitol. Protesters repeatedly exited from the building bearing trophies that they had torn off walls. A few carried “Area Closed” signs that they had snatched and then stormed past. But it was objects stolen from Pelosi’s office were especially popular. One man emerged from the risers set up on the steps of the Capitol, wielding a piece of a wooden plaque that marked the entrance to Pelosi’s office. He held it up like a trophy, as hundreds of people on the steps below cheered wildly. “Not our speaker!” shouted one woman. “Get her out!” shouted another man. Another man, Richard Bigo Barnett, 60, stood outside the Capitol, his shirt ripped open and his chest bared to the cold, bragging about how he had gotten into the speaker’s office. He was brandishing an envelope with the speaker’s letterhead. “I left a quarter on her desk for it,” he said, adding, “I wrote her a nasty note, put my feet up on her desk.” Others turned their vitriol on the police. “We backed you,” one man shouted at the line of officers outside. “Traitors!” By 7 p.m., the presence of police officers and federal agents had drastically increased along the National Mall. Officers pushed back against aggressive protesters as they prepared for the possibility of more potential unrest overnight. At the Capitol, lawmakers prepared to resume their session counting electoral votes that would end the Trump presidency. “We want to go back,” Crow said. “And finish the business of the people to show that we are a democracy, and that the government is stronger than any mob.”

As House was breached, a fear ‘we’d have to fight’ to get out

An Ohio man pleaded guilty on Monday to charges that he plotted to attack the US&nbsp;Capitol with guns and bombs and that he sympathised with Islamic State militants.

In an appearance in federal court in Cincinnati, Christopher Cornell, 22, shackled and dressed in black-and-white striped jail clothes, admitted to the charges of attempted murder of government officials, possession of a firearm to commit a crime and attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organisation.

Cornell, who mainly answered the judge&#39;s questions with &quot;yes ma&#39;am&quot; and &quot;no ma&#39;am,&quot; faces up to 30 years in prison and a lifetime of supervision, according to officials at the hearing.

Cornell, of Green Township, Ohio, near Cincinnati was arrested in January 2015 and accused of planning to travel to Washington to attack the US&nbsp;Capitol during President Barack Obama&#39;s State of the Union address on January&nbsp;20, 2015, prosecutors said, citing the plea agreement.

Cornell initially pleaded not guilty. His sentencing hearing was scheduled for October&nbsp;31.

A lawyer for Cornell, Martin Pinales, said the guilty plea was in the best interest of his client. Cornell&#39;s father, who previously told Ohio media he felt his son was set up by an FBI informant, declined to comment on the plea.

&quot;We love Christopher very much and we all support him,&quot; John Cornell said.

Cornell researched the construction of pipe bombs, purchased two semi-automatic rifles and 600 rounds of ammunition, and made plans to travel to Washington to carry out the plot, according to the original indictment.

After his arrest, he posted statements online that included a call for others to join him in violent jihad against the United States on behalf of Islamic State, prosecutors said, citing the plea agreement. Islamic State militants control parts of Iraq and Syria and have sympathizers and supporters around the world who have carried out bombings and shootings of civilians.

In April, US&nbsp;district Judge Sandra Beckwith in Cincinnati ruled that Cornell, who has been held without bond since his arrest, was competent to stand trial. Last November, the judge ordered a psychiatric evaluation for Cornell after his attorneys questioned his mental competence. 
 
(Reuters)

Cornell admitted to the charges of attempted murder of government officials and possession of a firearm to carry out the attack

An Ohio man pleaded guilty on Monday to charges that he plotted to attack the US Capitol with guns and bombs and that he sympathised with Islamic State militants. In an appearance in federal court in Cincinnati, Christopher Cornell, 22, shackled and dressed in black-and-white striped jail clothes, admitted to the charges of attempted murder of government officials, possession of a firearm to commit a crime and attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organisation. Cornell, who mainly answered the judge's questions with "yes ma'am" and "no ma'am," faces up to 30 years in prison and a lifetime of supervision, according to officials at the hearing. Cornell, of Green Township, Ohio, near Cincinnati was arrested in January 2015 and accused of planning to travel to Washington to attack the US Capitol during President Barack Obama's State of the Union address on January 20, 2015, prosecutors said, citing the plea agreement. Cornell initially pleaded not guilty. His sentencing hearing was scheduled for October 31. A lawyer for Cornell, Martin Pinales, said the guilty plea was in the best interest of his client. Cornell's father, who previously told Ohio media he felt his son was set up by an FBI informant, declined to comment on the plea. "We love Christopher very much and we all support him," John Cornell said. Cornell researched the construction of pipe bombs, purchased two semi-automatic rifles and 600 rounds of ammunition, and made plans to travel to Washington to carry out the plot, according to the original indictment. After his arrest, he posted statements online that included a call for others to join him in violent jihad against the United States on behalf of Islamic State, prosecutors said, citing the plea agreement. Islamic State militants control parts of Iraq and Syria and have sympathizers and supporters around the world who have carried out bombings and shootings of civilians. In April, US district Judge Sandra Beckwith in Cincinnati ruled that Cornell, who has been held without bond since his arrest, was competent to stand trial. Last November, the judge ordered a psychiatric evaluation for Cornell after his attorneys questioned his mental competence. (Reuters)

Ohio suspect Christopher Cornell pleads guilty to charges of planning US Capitol attack