Several Officers Injured as Protests Turn Violent in Washington DC, All DC National Guardsmen Activated

Washington, DC – Violence has erupted in the nation’s Capitol, which was placed on lock down after protesters stormed into the Senate, halting the counting of electoral votes.

It’s been reported that several officers have been injured, with one so far being transported to the hospital.

A woman was also shot inside the Capitol building, and it’s been reported that she was transported to the hospital in critical condition. Police say she has since died.

Meanwhile, what’s been described as a pipe bomb was found at Republican National Committee (RNC) headquarters, which is located blocks from the Capitol. Likewise, a “suspicious package” was found nearby at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

The Library of Congress James Madison Memorial Building and the Cannon House Office Building were also evacuated by Capitol Police.

A crowd of thousands had gathered outside the Capitol on Wednesday to show support for President Trump and to protest the certification of several states’ electors amid voter fraud allegations. President Trump had spoken to the crowd Wednesday morning, saying he hoped Vice President Mike Pence “came through” for them, meaning that Pence would reject the electors of the states in question.

According to The Epoch Times, 89 members of the House and 13 Senators objected to the certification of electors in at least Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. Pence commented that the Constitution “constrains” him from rejecting those electors.

In a statement released just before the Congress joint session, Pence said, “It is my considered judgment that my oath to support and defend the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not.”

As soon as Pence opted to accept the electors of those states, the crowd became angry and started to storm into the Capitol. Pence was taken to safety and lawmakers were told to shelter in place, staying away from doors and windows. A source also told LENN that lawmakers were given gas masks to don.

Dr. Nicole Kish was on the ground in DC from Oklahoma and she told LENN, “It was peaceful all morning until the Mike Pence action- then the crowd erupted.” She said there were “definitely Antifa mixed in  with the pro-Trump crowd. They were clearly posing as Trump supporters but looked very out of place. The Antifa looking ones were all wearing gas masks.”

She added, “People are pissed- they got their vote stolen.”

The Electoral College ballots were grabbed before lawmakers left and the count will continue when it’s deemed safe to do so.

Several Antifa outlets on social media have posted in recent weeks that members of the far left organization will be “posing as Trump supporters” and attending the rally. Twitter users are also starting to identify members of Antifa that were at Antifa/Black Lives Matter riots over the summer as those who were in the Capitol Wednesday. While it’s widely speculated on social media, LENN has not been able to independently confirm this.

This is a developing story and LENN will bring you updates as they become available.