On January 6, 2021, supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the headquarters of the US Congress. It was an unprecedentedly dark day for US democracy.
Washington DC – Immediately after the US President’s election victory Joe Biden It started in the 2020 US elections: supporters of the then-incumbent president Donald Trump and the ex-president himself spoke of “election fraud”. Even before the election, there were fears that Trump would not vacate the White House without resistance. Nobody expected that his violent supporters, who were mostly convinced of right-wing conspiracy theories, would go so far. On January 6, 2021, the headquarters of the US Congressthe Capitol building in Washington DC, stormed by an angry crowd of Trump supporters.
Attack on Capitol: Trump gives sensitive speech to supporters
January 6th was the day on which Biden's election victory was to be officially certified by the US Congress. On the same day, Trump supporters wanted to gather for a rally not far from the Capitol. Donald Trump himself was supposed to give a speech there. That set alarm bells ringing in the US capital. Even before the rally, Trump repeated the allegations of election fraud on the short message service X (then Twitter).
Ahead of his speech, supporters of the right-wing extremist Proud Boys group are the first to gather and are already marching to the Capitol building. Just a short time after Trump's speech began, the ex-president called on his supporters to storm Congress. “I know that everyone here is about to march to the Capitol to make their voices heard peacefully and patriotically,” Trump said.
As Trump's speech continues, the crowd in front of the Capitol continues to grow. The outnumbered police and other security forces cannot prevent several Trump supporters from breaking through the barriers and entering the Capitol grounds. “Fight for Trump,” shouted the attackers with flags and homemade weapons in their hands, as the British broadcaster BBC reported. A short time later, the certification process begins under the direction of the then Speaker of the House of Representatives, Democrat Nancy Pelosi.
Incredible images in the Capitol: security guards draw their weapons
Donald Trump ends his speech with the words: “We fight. Fight like hell and if you don't fight like hell you won't have a country anymore.” It almost sounds like a direct call for violence. In his last sentence, he again calls on his supporters to march towards the Capitol. Security forces there are now being pelted with metal rods and attacked. Injured police officers are reported by radio and reinforcements are called. It is now clear: there is an uprising going on.
As the attackers smash windows and get into the Capitol building, the alarm is raised. Still Vice President Mike Pence, whom Trump's supporters call a “traitor,” and Nancy Pelosi are evacuated by security forces. Members of Congress hide under tables as shocking images spread around the world. Security guards in suits have locked the doors, their weapons drawn and ready to fire in case anyone gets through.
As his supporters search for Pence and Pelosi, Trump does not try to calm the situation. Quite the opposite: He continues to agitate against Pence on social media and thus continues to fire up his supporters. Meanwhile, Trump supporters stream through every door of Congress and are just feet away from the main door of the House of Representatives. Members of Congress are evacuated as the attackers enter the Senate.
Trump's supporters are causing chaos in the US Congress
A shot is also fired: Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt is among a group of people trying to get through a glass door. On the other side there are probably members of Congress. They manage to smash the windows. Suddenly, a single shot from a gun comes from the other side and hits Babbitt. The woman dies from her serious injuries.
It was only hours later, after a death, dozens of injuries and incomprehension about the situation in the American capital, that Trump appeared and wrote on the platform X (then Twitter) that the crowd should remain “peaceful”. He later calls on them to go home and leave the Capitol. He praises his supporters as “great patriots.” He attributed the violence of his supporters to the fact that the election – which he actually won – had been “stolen”.
According to a report from the US Department of Justice, around 140 police officers were attacked during the riot. One of the police officers died from his injuries and two others committed suicide. In addition to Ashli Babbitt, who was shot, another person died of a heart attack during the riot. A third attacker was trampled to death. In total, $1.5 million in damage was caused to the Capitol building. But the damage to the image of US democracy was far greater. (bb)
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