Thousands of Pro-Donald Trump protesters stormed into the US Capitol on Wednesday afternoon, interrupting the certification of Joe Biden’s presidential election victory.
They pushed through barriers set up along the perimeter of the Capitol, where they tussled with officers in full riot gear. Smoke grenades were used on the Senate side of the Capitol, as police work to clear the building.
Four protesters died during the spiraling violence. One was shot and killed, the other three died because of medical emergencies.
The US President-elect Joe Biden, who was the first to go on television and called it an "insurrection".
He said, "Today is a reminder, a painful one, that democracy is fragile."
Minutes after Biden spoke, Trump tweeted a video in which he told supporters to "go home" -- but repeated his claim the election was "stolen" and told them "We love you."
In 1814, the Capitol was burned down in an attack by the British during the War of 1812 – until today, that was the last time the Capitol was breached.
US lawmakers resumed counting Electoral College votes hours after the chaos, with Vice President Mike Pence gaveling in the session and saying that Wednesday was a “dark day in the history of the United States Capitol.”
(Produced by Zhu Yingqi, Ni Tao, Yang Jiayi)