As US lawmakers began to count the electoral votes Wednesday that would confirm President-elect Joe Biden’s win, a mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters — egged on by the President — made its way to the US Capitol.
Chaos erupted. Hundreds of rioters pushed through barriers outside the Capitol, scaled the walls and smashed windows to get inside. They stormed its legendary halls, trashed offices and occupied House and Senate chambers.
The Capitol has since been secured. But four people are now dead, and Americans witnessed one of the most jarring displays of insurrection in our nation’s history.
The riot left scars — both literal and figurative ones. These photos show the damage done to what is arguably the United States’ most iconic building.
Broken windows and shattered glass
Toppled benches and shattered glass litter the floor in one hallway.
The reflection of an American flag is seen through door windows smashed by rioters.
A Gadsden flag hangs between two broken windows inside the Capitol. The yellow flag depicting a rattlesnake with the phrase “Don’t Tread On Me” has been used as a symbol by Tea Party supporters, gun rights activists and in recent years, far-right groups.
A flag emblazoned with the word “TREASON” lies on the floor as fire extinguishers line the hall.
Vandalism of congressional offices
Some pro-Trump rioters broke into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office. This damaged sign outside is one example of the vandalism that occurred.
Rioters left a message on Pelosi’s desk that reads, “WE WILL NOT BACK DOWN.”
This battered office door shows dents, cracks and scuff marks.
The office of the Senate parliamentarian, who advises the Senate on how to interpret its rules, sits on the first floor of the Capitol, adjacent to one of the main doors breached by the mob. A still image from a video captured by CNN’s Ali Zaslav and Ted Barrett shows papers scattered across the floor of the office.
Rioters occupying the building
A rioter carries the lectern of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi through the Rotunda.
A Trump supporter wearing a MAGA hat sits at a desk in an office, clutching an American flag.
This rioter made his way to the Senate dais, where Vice President Mike Pence sat earlier that day — and later that night — as Congress met to certify the Electoral College results.
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