Police have ordered the evacuation of several office buildings for the US Congress as supporters of President Donald Trump broke down security barrricades on the steps of the Capitol.
Capitol Police sent orders for Congressional staff to leave the Cannon building and other large offices after Trump called on his followers to protest the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory inside the legislature.
“Just evacuated my office in Cannon due to a nearby threat. Now we’re seeing protesters assaulting Capitol Police,” said Representative Nancy Mace in a tweet.
“This is wrong. This is not who we are. I’m heartbroken for our nation today,” she wrote.
Several thousand protesters cheered President Donald Trump and his claims of election fraud at a rally near the White House on Wednesday ahead of Congress’ vote to affirm President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
“We will not let them silence your voices,” Trump told the protesters, who had lined up before sunrise to get a prime position to hear the president.The crowd cheered when he said, “We will stop the steal.” That’s been the rallying cry of protests against the election results.
Media reports say six people were arrested during Pro-Trump protests.
Two women were charged with simple assault, one man was charged with assaulting an officer, one man was arrested on gun charges. Two others were arrested but no details were given.
Vice President, Mike Pence has refused to heed the call to rejected the election results.
Pence in a statement said he has no “unilateral authority to decide presidential contests” and could not change the results of the election.
“It is my considered judgement that my oath to support and defend the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not,”
“The Presidency belongs to the American people, and to them alone,” Pence wrote.
