Among the unprecedented photos that came out of the Capitol on Thursday was of a group of supporters of Donald Trump wearing a costume with horns and holding the Confederate flag and a loudspeaker, inside the halls of the building that represents American democracy.
Many of them are also not wearing mask, despite the threat posed by the raging coronavirus pandemic. The shirtless pro-Trump man seen in a fur hat with horns and brown pants was later seen walking into the large hall where the joint session of Congress was held. The US House and Senate were forced into emergency recess as the mob overran the police.
"This flag better be banned by the end of the year. This is terrorism. They were traitorous then, and they are traitorous now," a Twitter user Katie Clifford said.
Others compared photos showing Trump's presidential inauguration four years ago in a picture perfect frame, under a blue sky, and the chaotic steps of the Capitol where teargas smoke hung in the winter air.
"The incoming attorney general should launch a prompt and impartial investigation into efforts to subvert the democratic process," Amnesty International deputy executive director Tirana Hassan tweeted.
Hours later, the US Congress formally certified Joe Biden as the next President, dealing a hammer blow to Trump. Lawmakers in the Senate and House of Representatives successfully beat back Republican efforts to deny Biden the electoral votes needed to win, prompting loud cheers when the certification was announced.
The Donald Trump supporter argues with a police officer inside the Capitol (AFP)
The affirmation of Biden's 306-232 victory over Trump in November essentially closes the door on the unparalleled and deeply controversial effort by Trump and his loyalists to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
During the mob violence in the Capitol, police said that one woman from southern California was shot and killed and that three other people died in the area in circumstances that were unclear.
With inputs from AFP
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