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- A mob of Pro-Trump protesters charged and yelled threats at at news media crews outside the US capitol building on Wednesday, forcing them to flee the area.
- The protesters also swung a flagpole at the crews and and destroyed their camera equipment.
- Some of the protesters who had gathered in Washington, DC, to protest the presidential election results violently stormed the Capitol building earlier on Wednesday, forcing lawmakers to evacuate.
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As protesters in Washington, DC, on Wednesday became violent, a mob of pro-Trump protesters charged at news media crews reporting on the events outside the US Capitol building, according to multiple videos posted to Twitter.
The videos depicted protesters toppling metal fences that the journalists had been positioned behind, with one swinging a flag pole at a camera crew, yelling comments like “f— the mainstream media,” “get out of here,” and calling the media “traitors.”
As protesters converged, the media crews could be seen fleeing the area.
A handful of protesters then proceeded to destroy the camera equipment that had been left behind, as the crowd cheered and several people urged them to take “souvenirs.”
—William Turton (@WilliamTurton) January 6, 2021
—William Turton (@WilliamTurton) January 6, 2021
Trump has consistently criticized the news media, often referring to journalists as “the enemy of the people,” a term popularized by Joseph Stalin to describe those who opposed views pushed by his government, and has at times glorified violence against members of the press.
Thousands of Trump supporters had gathered in Washington earlier on Wednesday to attend a “March for Trump” rally to protest the certification of Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential race. Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress were in the process of mounting a challenge to Congress’ efforts to formally certify the Electoral College votes.
Following the president’s speech, a large mob then stormed the US Capitol building, forcing the House and Senate to abruptly go into recess and lawmakers, Hill staffers, and reporters to shelter in their offices before being evacuated.
An armed standoff between rioters and police ensued, with multiple law enforcement officers injured and a woman being fatally shot.
In response to the violence, Washington, DC, mayor Muriel Bowser ordered a 6 p.m. curfew in the District of Columbia. The D.C. National Guard and Virginia National Guard have been deployed to the scene.
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