Over 1,000 National Guard troops have been deployed to control the situation in Washington D.C.
Violent scenes have engulfed the US Capitol as pro-Trump supporters stormed the building as Congress were due to ratify President-elect Joe Biden's electoral victory.
CNN reports that a woman is in critical condition after being shot in the chest on the grounds of the Capitol. At least five people have been taken to hospital.
Law enforcement officials told
NBC News that at least one improvised explosive device was found on the grounds of the US Capitol.
https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1346917457299185665
Since Joe Biden was projected winner of the US presidential election on November 7th, incumbent President Donald Trump (and his supporters) have doubted the legitimacy of the election. No evidence of wrongdoing has ever been uncovered, but it is a claim they persist with today.
Earlier today, pro-Trump supporters began their descent on the US capitol with a 'March for Trump' / 'Save America' rally held outside the building. Trump himself spoke at this event.
https://twitter.com/PoliticsJOE_UK/status/1346936401561059331
Later on in the day, Trump supporters stormed the US capitol on their way to the White House. They clashed with police and security guards, even setting off fire extinguishers while inside the building.
President Trump tweeted a pre-recorded video in which he called for peace, but repeated unsubstantiated claims that the election was "fraudulent".
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1346928882595885058
Joe Biden made a live address in which he described the protests as “an assault on the most sacred of American undertakings: the doing of the people’s business."
