US Capitol hill violence

  • An armed and angry mob of Trump's supporters stormed Capitol Hill and clashed with police just as Congress convened to validate Joe Biden’s presidential win.
  • A protester was also seen carrying the Confederate flag. 
  • The flag stands for –– white supremacy and the social and political exclusion of coloured people.
  • A woman was fatally shot in the violence that ensued as pro-Trump protestors breached barricades and advanced into the halls of the Capitol building.

WHAT WAS GOING ON IN CAPITOL HILL?

  • Lawmakers had begun to gather for a joint session in the House of Representatives to count the electoral votes.
  • Trump supporters stormed the historic building and wreaked havoc in an attempt to stall the certification of the election results.
  • Soon after law enforcement officials were able to clear the building of rioters, the lawmakers reconvened the joint session to count electoral votes from the presidential election and officially confirm Joe Biden’s victory.

EVENTS THAT LED TO THE STORM

  • Hours before the rioters stormed the US Capitol, huge crowds of Trump supporters had already filled the streets to protest against the certification of Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election. 
  • Many had even camped out overnight to catch a glimpse of President Trump and his top advisors and family members at the ‘Save America Rally’ that took place on January 6 at the Ellipse, a park near the White House.
  • Trump spoke for around an hour, following which thousands began marching towards the Capitol.
  • The protesters roamed through the halls freely, some even entering and looting the offices used by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other lawmakers.

REACTIONS

  • Several lawmakers, including members of the Republican Party, have blamed Trump for the violence that broke out in and around the Capitol. 
  • Following the mayhem that ensued within the halls of the Capitol, more than a dozen house Democrats renewed calls for Trump’s impeachment before inauguration day.
  • Leaders from across the world also criticized the incident and urged for a peaceful transition of power in US.

WHAT IS US CAPITOL?

  • Capitol Hill is home to the legislative branch of the US federal government and the seat of the United States Congress. 
  • Commonly referred to as Capitol Hill, the complex houses the US House of Representatives and US Senate office building, the Library of Congress, and the US Capitol building.
  • It is located on Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

25th AMENDMENT 

  • There have been some preliminary discussions among some Cabinet members and Trump allies about invoking the 25th Amendment.
  • The 25th Amendment, ratified in 1967 and adopted in the wake of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, deals with presidential succession and disability.
  • Section 4 addresses situations where a president is unable to do the job but does not step down voluntarily.
  • The drafters of the 25th Amendment clearly intended for it to apply when a president is incapacitated by a physical or mental illness, experts say.
  •  Some scholars have also argued that it could also apply more broadly to a president who is dangerously unfit for office.
  • However, the fourth section of the 25th Amendment has never been invoked.

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