2021-01-07 14:44:44 UTC: UPDATE (See below the fold).
Pro-Trump rioters breach the US Capitol on historic day in Congress:
Supporters of President Donald Trump breached the US Capitol on Wednesday while Congress was meeting to certify the Electoral College's votes for president and vice president.
The Capitol has been put on lockdown and the certification vote has been paused. Vice President Mike Pence was evacuated from the building. House and Senate leadership is safe and in undisclosed locations, according to a person familiar with the situation.
Congress' counting of electoral votes is typically little more than an afterthought. But this joint session was expected to be a contentious affair that would last late into the evening and possibly on Thursday. Some Republicans are objecting to the count and delaying the inevitable certification of President-elect Joe Biden's win.
Also at AlJazeera (In Pictures: Pro-trump mob storms US Capitol building) and c|net (Mob storms Capitol forcing halt of election vote count).
[2021-01-06 22:33:53 UTC; UPDATE] NOTE: This is a chaotic time.
The Electoral College votes are currently being confirmed and tallied. Runoff votes in Georgia are being tallied and the results may swing the balance of power in the US Senate. The Georgia secretary of state [has been] relocated from [State] Capitol for security reasons. Mitch McConnell goes off on Trump. Pro-Trump reporter gloats over access to fleeing Hill staffer's computer. And Trump hand-picks replacement for Atlanta's US attorney after surprise resignation.
Let's please try and keep the discussion civil.
Also, please be polite and share your popcorn!
(1) Fox News reports Biden's Electoral College victory certified -- hours after Capitol chaos:
The U.S. Congress early Thursday certified the Electoral College vote that gave Democrat Joe Biden his presidential victory -- after a day in Washington that was marred by pro-Trump protesters storming the U.S. Capitol.
Vice President Mike Pence, who had announced he would not overturn the will of voters, confirmed the Biden victory at 3:41 a.m. ET.
Lawmakers had returned to the chamber in an act of defiance, with some Republicans who initially vowed to challenge states' results due to voter fraud concerns announcing they'd instead vote to certify.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., called the breach of the Capitol a "failed insurrection," adding that those who "tried to disrupt our democracy" had not succeeded.
(2) President Trump "Responds" via Staffer's Twitter Account after His Account was Suspended:
Statement by President Donald J. Trump on the Electoral Certification:
"Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th. I have always said we would continue our...
...fight to ensure that only legal votes were counted. While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it's only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again!"
(3) Facebook, Twitter lock Trump's account following video addressing Washington rioters:
- Twitter and Facebook on Wednesday said they would lock the account of President Donald Trump after he continued to make false claims about the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
- Facebook, YouTube and Twitter on Wednesday removed a video by President Donald Trump addressing Washington rioters.
- Meanwhile, calls are mounting for Twitter and Facebook to suspend Trump's accounts.
(4) The Associated Press has called the results for the Georgia Senate elections: both Democratic candidates defeated their GOP opponents:
With projected victories in the twin races of Warnock and Ossoff, President-elect Joe Biden will have the narrowest majority in the Senate, with both parties holding 50-50 seats apiece, allowing the tie-breaking vote to be cast by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
Also at The New York Times.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 06 2021, @10:27PM (23 children)
The fucking pigs are super happy to shoot the crap out of blacks and brownies every day of the week and twice on sundays, but when buncha terrorists storm the Capitol ... absolutely nothing.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 06 2021, @10:30PM (3 children)
Pigs like to shoot at individuals, not crowds.
(Score: 3, Informative) by barbara hudson on Wednesday January 06 2021, @10:51PM (2 children)
The students at Kent State would disagree with you.
SoylentNews is social media. Says so right in the slogan. Soylentnews is people, not tech.
(Score: 2) by PinkyGigglebrain on Thursday January 07 2021, @12:43AM
Kent state was National Guard, not Police.
Police are at least trained in the law, not that they always follow it.
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Thursday January 07 2021, @02:34AM
As already stated, Kent State was the responsibility of the Ohio National Guard. That wasn't racist - white guardsmen shot white kids. We can discuss that further, but Kent State is not the example you are searching for.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 06 2021, @10:33PM (3 children)
Yeah, it is "interesting" how the police always seem to exercise restraint when dealing with white supremacists and fascist militias.
Some quotes by cops show without any ambiguity that some cops feel an allegiance to these far-right terrorist groups. The difference in response by cops as a whole to peaceful protest for civil rights vs. right-wing terrorists demonstrates that this allegiance is not just felt by, "a few bad apples," but rather is endemic throughout the police.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 06 2021, @10:50PM (2 children)
Well sure they hesitate. It's likely to be their brother or cousin in that mask.
(Score: 2) by barbara hudson on Wednesday January 06 2021, @11:45PM (1 child)
SoylentNews is social media. Says so right in the slogan. Soylentnews is people, not tech.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 10 2021, @05:03AM
You are correct:
2 Seattle police officers investigated for reportedly being in D.C. on day of attack [komonews.com]
Calls for Seattle Police Officers Guild President Mike Solan to resign over tweet appearing to blame BLM for Capitol riots [komonews.com]
(Score: 0, Insightful) by Ethanol-fueled on Wednesday January 06 2021, @10:57PM (12 children)
I love hearing the mental gymnastics from my friends and family when I bring up Antifa and BLM, and how both Progressives and Cops looked the other way (if not encouraged them outright) when they ran apeshit through out cities breaking things and beating up children and old ladies alike. I guess violence is okay when your team does it, right?
And here's an interesting true story: Was watching the CBS stream earlier today, and the hysterical newscaster had the nerve to not only bitch that they weren't social distancing, but she slipped up and said " ...import--er--explain the facts to our audience. " Well ain't that not suspicious as all hell. The nerve of those motherfuckers.
Then I have to remind my family that these protesters are sending a message through storming the capitol rather than "politically protesting" by destroying Mom-and-Pop businesses and looting they big-scrane teavees and Chinese slave-made Nike basketball shoes.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 06 2021, @11:03PM (2 children)
Ha!!!
So you really are a classic incel, to the point your own family probably talks about not inviting you to gatherings. Could tell you were lurking around shitposting as AC but still there was hope you'd fucked off for good. Oh well.
(Score: 0) by Ethanol-fueled on Thursday January 07 2021, @01:30AM (1 child)
Q: What looks like a pig, stinks like a goat, and unlike me won't get laid in the forseeable future?
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 07 2021, @08:10AM
Sad. Your trolling is usually pretty bad, but "you don't have sex but I do" is the best you've got here? Super-incel trolling, top notch!
(Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday January 06 2021, @11:34PM
Haha! "My team is behaving badly like your team behaved badly and I'm wagging my finger at you!"
Oh and 'impart' means 'communicate'. I'm sure an investigation on the newscaster will be opened immediately.🙄
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 5, Informative) by helel on Thursday January 07 2021, @12:26AM (7 children)
Links or it didn't happen.
When BLM was protesting right wingers were throwing pipe bombs [opb.org], shooting at cops [startribune.com], and burning police cars [twincities.com]. When the left holds peaceful protests the right shows up in force to cause damage and kill people [news.com.au]. There is a violent side of the political spectrum and for "some reason" police are much much more hesitant to use force against it than they are agains the left.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 07 2021, @01:21AM (4 children)
(Score: 2) by helel on Thursday January 07 2021, @01:33AM
That's why we need Superman [mentalfloss.com]!
(Score: 2) by rcamera on Thursday January 07 2021, @02:32PM (2 children)
What you are suggesting is simply untrue, and you know it. I'm outraged that you would say it, and i'm absolutely livid that it's been modded funny.
Batman and Superman have frequently stood in for each other as body-doubles over the past 80 years. This is fairly common knowledge.
/* no comment */
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 07 2021, @08:28PM (1 child)
The number of cops that have been found posting white supremacy crap on social media determined that your outrage is a lie.
Not every cop is a white supremacist, but too many are. We have video of capitol police allowing the mob to storm the building, so time to deal with reality. We have a minority of fascist citizens willing to use violence to overthrow democracy.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 07 2021, @09:06PM
That is a textbook joke double down. He isn't arguing cops aren't white supremacists.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 07 2021, @02:44AM (1 child)
That's bullshit. You'll need some REALLY good citations from CREDIBLE sources to make that stick. Bullshit!
(Score: 3, Informative) by helel on Thursday January 07 2021, @03:18AM
The news sources I've linked to seem reasonably reputable and it's not like you can't find videos of the proud boys committing their crimes. Thanks everyone carrying a spy-phone!
Would you prefer a high level overview? Right wing groups are behind most terrorism in the US. [nytimes.com]
But if your disagreement is grounded in facts I would love to expand my knowledge. Please, if I have been misinformed about these (or other) cases of right-wing violence link to a CREDIBLE fact-checking source with corrections. It's possible any, or all, of the cases I referenced have changed since the last time I looked into them.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 07 2021, @12:01AM
Oh, your post is so fucking "insightful". How many blacks were killed in Portland during half a year of rioting?
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 07 2021, @01:21AM
The fucking pigs are super happy to shoot the crap out of blacks and brownies every day of the week and twice on sundays, but when buncha terrorists storm the Capitol ... absolutely nothing.
Actually, it shows the importance of the Second Amendment. Cops are much less likely to shoot into a crowd when the crowd is likely armed.
Cops vs one idiot = dead idiot.
Cops vs armed militia = everyone stays polite.