U.S. Capitol Building Breached By Pro-Trump Terrorists, Black Legislators Disgusted
Trump Kicked Off Of Facebook Until At Least After The Inauguration
Jan. 7, 2021
Update: 11:30 a.m.:
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that President Trump would be banned from posting on Facebook and Instagram for at least the next two weeks leading up to the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, citing the comments he makes possibly stoking further violence from his supporters, many of whom took siege of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday (Jan. 6).
"The shocking events of the last 24 hours clearly demonstrate that President Donald Trump intends to use his remaining time in office to undermine the peaceful and lawful transition of power to his elected successor, Joe Biden," Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post. "His decision to use his platform to condone rather than condemn the actions of his supporters at the Capitol building has rightly disturbed people in the US and around the world. We removed these statements yesterday because we judged that their effect -- and likely their intent -- would be to provoke further violence."
Twitter had stopped Trump from posting as well on Wednesday because of the comments he has made on that platform, seemingly encouraging mob violence at the capitol. Despite the violence and chaos, he kept saying that he was cheated out of a win in the 2020 election, despite no proof of his claim.
Some of his supporters who were at the capitol for a rally, chose to burst into the building and ransack the property, forcing legislators and staffs to take cover for several hours. Trump did finally acknowledge that his term is over, but that tweet was sent out through a surrogate since he cannot use Twitter.
Instagram and Twitter Suspend Donald Trump's Accounts
Update: 9:40pm
Instagram has officially suspended Donald Trump's account for 24 hours. Facebook, which owns Instagram, also reportedly locked the president's account for 24 hours earlier in the day. In a video posted across multiple social media platforms that has since been removed, the president repeated false claims that the election was stolen from him as violent protesters descended on the U.S. Capitol.
Update: 8:24pm
Twitter announced on Wednesday (January 6) that it’s locking Donald Trump’s Twitter account for 12 hours and deleting three tweets the president wrote in which he repeated unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud while supporters of his stormed the U.S. Capitol.
"As a result of the unprecedented and ongoing violent situation in Washington, D.C., we have required the removal of three @realDonaldTrump Tweets that were posted earlier today for repeated and severe violations of our Civic Integrity policy," Twitter said in a post to its TwitterSafety account.
This is the strongest action the social media app has taken against the president’s account to date. Many are calling for Facebook and Twitter to fully suspend Trump’s accounts.
Twitter also said further violations of its rules could lead to a permanent suspension of Trump’s account. "Future violations of the Twitter Rules, including our Civic Integrity or Violent Threats policies, will result in permanent suspension of the @realDonaldTrump account," Twitter Safety added.
Update: 6:18 p.m.
An unidentified woman who was shot in a confrontation between U.S. Capitol security forces and a rioting mob that breached the building in a violent attack on the nation's seat of power by supporters of Donald Trump.
The Washington Post reports the woman was shot earlier in the day during the chaos and died sometime later.
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Update: 6:00 p.m.
Congressioonal leaders say that they have been told that the U.S. Capitol building is secure hours after they had to shelter in place when a mob of rioters breached the premises, running through its halls, breaking windows, vandalizing property, and even taking pictures and videos of themselves doing it.
Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan tweeted that the premises are cleared of the rioters just before the 6 p.m. curfew in Washington D.C. was set to take place.
The premises were confirmed secure by government officials, according to reports from several news organizations.
But the capitol was under siege through the entire afternoon when the mob, which had been demonstrating for the prior day at the building protesting the certification of the 2020 presidential election, which formally confirms Joe Biden as the next Chief Executive. That procedure was taking place in Congress when the fracas started.
Law enforcement dispersed to the Capitol building had cleared much of the premieses although quite a few rioters lingered on the grounds around it. A secure perimiter had been achieved by police and they were ordering people to leave by nightfall.
Meanwhile, some lawmakers like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell want Congress to reconvene despite the events of the day and complete the business of the House and Senate in confirming the election of Biden.
It is not clear, however, if they will.
*****
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at the U.S. Capitol while Congress was meeting to confirm the electoral college vote that will install President-elect Joe Biden into the White House have apparently breached the capitol building on Wednesday (Jan. 6), disrupting legislative procedures and causing chaos, safety issues and an evacuation.
It is unclear if the protesters — who are bordering on domestic terrorism -- are from an organized group or just random people, but what is clear is that they are determined to stop Biden from becoming president, believing President Donald Trump’s baseless claims that massive voter fraud was the reason he lost the 2020 election.
Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota tweeted an image of the fracas, showing people running through the building, but there is apparently no large presence from the Secret Service, Capitol Police or any other major law enforcement or security force. That may change, but the crowd was not dispersed by midafternoon on Wednesday.
Rep. Val Demings of Florida sent out a tweet describing what she was setting and expressing her disgust.
New York Rep. Yvette Clarke also expressed her frustration, but said that she and her staff are safe.
Members of the House and Senate were being moved to safety, while other staffers were being told to shelter in place. It is not clear when control will be returned to U.S. Capitol law enforcement.
Demonstrations are not unusual at the Capitol building and it is normally a free area for people to walk around. Further, people can also enter the building on a normal day, but must go through security screening. A breach of a federal government building is considered a federal crime, according to the U.S. Code.
It defines the crime as:
Whoever...knowingly, and with intent to impede or disrupt the orderly conduct of Government business or official functions, engages in disorderly or disruptive conduct in, or within such proximity to, any restricted building or grounds when, or so that, such conduct, in fact, impedes or disrupts the orderly conduct of Government business or official functions…
Those found guilty would be subject to a fine and 10 years imprisonment.
We will continue to update the story as it unfolds...
Two Sets Of Rules
The incident is an apparent juxtaposition to protests last summer by many in the Black Lives Matter movement demonstrating the police violence against people of color in which Secret Service police lobbed tear gas at them just yards from the White House.
It also comes not even a full day after Rev. Raphael Warnock was elected Georgia’s first Black senator in the state’s highly contested senate runoff election.
Black Twitter has erupted over what is an obvious difference in how law enforcement has handled this set of protestors over those who felt the choke of tear gas and the sting of rubber bullets. Here are some reactions below:
