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: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 06 2021, @10:41PM (28 children)
BLM was given wide lattitude to attack federal buildings and set up autonomous zones.
(Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday January 06 2021, @10:55PM (4 children)
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 0) by Ethanol-fueled on Thursday January 07 2021, @01:35AM (3 children)
No, they found the scuzziest, ugliest, stinkiest, most felonious dope fiend and decided that they share such a kinship with he and people like him that they carry on his good name by example. Either him or the guy who charged at cops with a knife.
(Score: 2) by Tork on Thursday January 07 2021, @02:07AM (2 children)
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 0, Interesting) by Ethanol-fueled on Thursday January 07 2021, @02:25AM (1 child)
Then defund the police and continue to push them over to our side so we have yet a few more people with combat and firearms training, who are disillusioned as fuck at being thrown under the bus by the establishment just for doing their jobs, and no longer encumbered by their job duties. Or reverse your decisions and have everybody point and laugh while Right-wing trolls raid your safe-spaces with videos of BLM riots and "defund the police" tweets after your politicians get recalled or cry uncle.
Your kind are so blind with Trump hatred that you're gonna have a major "now what?!" moment after he goes away. Hell, you might even miss him. Party's over, playtime's done, and now it's time for the hangover trying to clean up the mess you too are stuck in along with the Trumpers.
(Score: 3, Touché) by Tork on Thursday January 07 2021, @02:35AM
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 06 2021, @11:00PM (22 children)
No they weren't, they were arrested and assaulted with numerous peaceful protesters illegally assaulted. All the violence was condemned, but you just want a false equivalence narrative. You rightwingers are fascist nut jobs without the mental fortitude to even be honest about what is happening. Always some excuse why your violence is OK, but if we follow some of your rhetoric against the BLM protests then I guess we should have the national guard gun down any Trumper found within 10 blocks of the capitol??? Not something I would suggest, but you are the one trying to suddenly use BLM protests as cover for your own shit.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 06 2021, @11:16PM (21 children)
Noting your double standard, Tom Cotton was right then and he's right now! There are no Republicans looking to bail out these rioters are there?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 06 2021, @11:24PM (20 children)
No clue what you mean by double standard. These rioters were pushed to violence by Trump, Cruz, a bunch of others I don't care to look up, along with rightwing pundits. As always you assholes only ever
Gaslight
Obstruct
Project
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 06 2021, @11:36PM (19 children)
Nobody encouraged them, most pundits just did like Atlas and shrugged. It was "mostly peaceful", there was no looting, no fires and no assaults.
(Score: 2) by barbara hudson on Wednesday January 06 2021, @11:42PM (3 children)
SoylentNews is social media. Says so right in the slogan. Soylentnews is people, not tech.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 06 2021, @11:55PM
Are you trying to make an argument?
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Friday January 08 2021, @12:16AM (1 child)
You, Hudson, are 95% full of shit, spouting hatred toward anything not progressive, as usual.
If you have the link to video of protesters/rioters attempting to torch the Capitol, I would like to see that.
Whether you be lying or not, I will note that there WERE NO FIRES in Washington D.C. yesterday. In fact, I'm not believing all the stories about explosives either. I believe that the cops have claimed to found ONE GUY with weapons and explosives. I don't have many details on that yet, but the explosives were apparently still in the vehicle used to transport them. Obviously not deployed.
Once again - THERE WERE NO FIRES yesterday. Unlike BLM/Antifa, who has set fires all around the country for months now, and suffered few consequences.
(Score: 2) by janrinok on Saturday January 09 2021, @02:38PM
The bombs existed all right, and they were deployed.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Tork on Thursday January 07 2021, @12:46AM (14 children)
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 1, Troll) by Runaway1956 on Thursday January 07 2021, @02:32AM (13 children)
OK, we saw two windows broken. I saw no "violence" aside from broken windows. Explosives - I call bullshit. Unattended baggage and shit were "suspicious", and bomb squads were called. You'll have to link to an actual explosive. Theft - it seems that might be accurate. Reports say that hard drives were taken from computers in capitol offices.
Stick to the facts, alright?
(Score: 2) by Tork on Thursday January 07 2021, @02:45AM (10 children)
I've commented on your insufficient sources of news before:
- https://soylentnews.org/breakingnews/comments.pl?noupdate=1&sid=41389&page=1&cid=1093460#commentwrap [soylentnews.org]
- https://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?noupdate=1&sid=40288&page=1&cid=1069344#commentwrap [soylentnews.org]
Your calls of 'bullshit' don't rattle me but they do prove that your internet's fucking working. Look it up. If you can't find it, that's fine, just be prepared to provide a list of all the search terms you used.
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Thursday January 07 2021, @02:52AM (9 children)
Nope. You make the assertion, you provide the citation. I don't need a citation to assert that "I don't believe that."
(Score: 2) by Tork on Thursday January 07 2021, @02:55AM (8 children)
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 2) by deimtee on Thursday January 07 2021, @03:55AM
Maybe he doesn't want a google search for "explosives in the Capitol" on his 'permanent record'.
If you cough while drinking cheap red wine it really cleans out your sinuses.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Thursday January 07 2021, @04:26AM (6 children)
I've seen no credible source that any "suspicious package" checked out to actually be explosives. All I'm seeing are excitable people making the assertion. As has often been pointed out here, "anonymous sources" aren't credible, even if your favorite "credible" news source publishes the allegations.
(Score: 2) by Tork on Thursday January 07 2021, @04:49AM (5 children)
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Thursday January 07 2021, @04:56AM (4 children)
Yeah, well, the FBI is partisan. And, you're still not willing to provide a link, and I'm not willing to search anymore.
(Score: 3, Touché) by Tork on Thursday January 07 2021, @05:21AM (3 children)
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Thursday January 07 2021, @05:34AM (2 children)
Violence, huh? Well, one protester is dead, at the hands of capitol police. How many police, congressmen, or senators are dead? Oh - zero? How many of them hospitalized? Zero? Hmmmmm - you want me to condemn the violence in DC? Careful what you ask - you could be condemned as a Trump Supporter!
And, oh yeah. There's a tantalizing theory that it was Antifa people who smashed the windows, then allowed the crowd inside. I'm not convinced of it yet, but it's out there.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Tork on Thursday January 07 2021, @05:44AM
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 11 2021, @09:00AM
It's a lie, Runaway, and you just spread it. You are now complicit in a violent attempt to overthrow the government of the United States, and cover it up with false testimony. Your details have been sent to the FBI, under "domestic terrorist".
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 07 2021, @08:07AM
Runaway1956
Ha. Ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha, haha, haaaaaaha!!!! Right, Runaway, right. Like Estonia.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 11 2021, @08:57AM
Runaway, stop lying. We all know you're lying. It makes us think you might be a stupid idiot, like a 2-year old child, when you lie in ways so obvious. So just stop lying, Runaway. Just remain calm, and wait for the Federal authorities to collect you for charges of treason.