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Swarajya Staff
Jan 07, 2021, 08:24 AM | Updated 08:24 AM IST
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At least one person was shot by police in the Capitol building on Wednesday (Jan 6) afternoon after angry mobs descended on Capitol (the seat of US Congress) following a “Stop the Steal” rally in which President Donald Trump disputed the outcome of the presidential election.
The massive crowd, running in to tens of thousands, moved on the Capitol after Trump repeatedly urged them to do so, saying he would join them and vowing to “never give up” and “never concede.”
The protesters barged their way past police and into the Capitol forcing lawmakers to shelter under desks and the evacuation of congressional leaders to nearby Fort McNair.
Tear gas was deployed inside the building, and members of Congress have been instructed to put on gas masks and are being evacuated.
The violence delayed for several hours the ratification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.
The certification of the Electoral College by the joint session of US Congress, usually a ceremonial exercise, was expected to be a stormy affair after many Republican lawmakers said that they would object to ratification of Biden's victory on the grounds that election was mared by fraud and malpractices.
After hours of combing operations, the cops managed to clear the Capitol building. Vice President Mike Pence presided over the U.S. Senate as it reconvened around 8 p.m. to restart the electoral vote debate and count. The House was reconvened about an hour later.