At least four people died on the US Capitol grounds yesterday and 52 people were arrested during the storming of the US Capitol by supporters of US President Donald Trump during the certification process of the US Electoral College vote, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert J Contee said.
The mayor of Washington, DC, Muriel Bowser, ordered a curfew in the nation’s capital beginning at 6 pm yesterday, after which both houses continued the count.
US President-elect Joe Biden, in a live address, called the violence an ‘insurrection’.
"The words of a president matter, no matter how good or bad that president is. At their best, the words of a president can inspire. At their worst, they can incite,” he added.
Former President Barack 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.
US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has demanded an end to the assault on the US Capitol by the supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump after they clashed with police and breached the building''s security in a bid to overturn the November 3 election results.
“I join President-elect Joe Biden in calling for the assault on the Capitol and our nation’s public servants to end, and as he said, “allow the work of democracy to go forward",” Harris said in a tweet.
President Donald Trump had called for "peaceful" protests after his supporters entered the Capitol following a rally during which he urged Congress to reject Democrat Joe Biden's election victory. Trump has come in for widespread criticism as he is seen as having encouraged the riots through making unfounded allegations of widespread voter fraud that were debunked by institutions and observers alike.
His one-minute long video message in response to the violence released on Twitter was blocked by the social media portal. His account was locked for 12 hours as well, and the social media platform warned him of a permanent ban if he didn’t remove his rule-breaking tweets.
Several world leader including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed their shock over the incident.
Modi took to Twitter to denounce the riots at Capitol Hill. He wrote,"Distressed to see news about rioting and violence in Washington DC. Orderly and peaceful transfer of power must continue. The democratic process cannot be allowed to be subverted through unlawful protests."