(Sharecast News) – Serious violence at the US Capitol in Washington has left at least one person seriously injured, as pro-Donald Trump demonstrators stormed into the building which houses Congress late on Wednesday.
A large number of protestors had gathered as the Senate began the largely ceremonial process of counting the Electoral College vote and certifying Joe Biden’s win in November’s presidential election.
Around 1400 local time (1900 GMT), the protest turned into a riot as a large number managed to break past security barricades and into the Capitol building itself.
The Capitol was locked down, with Senators, Representatives and staff told to shield in place before being evacuated to undisclosed locations.
One rioter was reported to have been involved in an armed stand-off with police outside the House chamber, with more police and security seen in photographs using furniture to barricade the doors to the chamber inside.
A group of rioters also made their way into the Senate chamber, and another was pictured sitting at the desk of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi inside her office.
One woman was reportedly in a serious condition after being shot in her upper body during the chaos.
The violence had put a slight dampener on stocks in New York, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling more than 200 points as the news broke mid-afternoon.
It still managed to close in positive territory, however, rising 1.44% to 30,829.40 as media outlets began to call both Senate seats being contested in the Georgia run-off election for the Democrats.
That would give the party effective control of the Senate, and make it far easier for president-elect Joe Biden to enact his policies.
The riot began to dissipate not long after markets closed as police from DC and surrounding areas moved on the crowds, although there were still a number of rioters in and around the Capitol as night fell.
