[WorldCase] 2021 storming of the United States Capitol
On January 6, 2021, the U.S. Capitol was stormed by supporters of then-President Donald Trump. Their aim was to prevent the certification of the 46th U.S. presidential election results and to overturn Trump's loss. After a rally hosted by Trump, thousands of his supporters marched down Pennsylvania Avenue and breached the Capitol. They attempted to obstruct the counting of electoral votes and stop the formal certification of Joe Biden's victory as president-elect.
The rioters broke into the Capitol, occupying and destroying parts of the building. The protesters breached police barriers, clashed with the Capitol Police, and took control of the Capitol. The attack resulted in five deaths and dozens of injuries. Additionally, makeshift explosive devices were found, and both the Capitol and surrounding buildings were shut down. Some rioters attempted to take Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi hostage, with chants calling for Pence to be hanged.
Trump initially opposed sending the military to suppress the rioters and referred to them as "great patriots," urging them to go home peacefully. Later, he promised an orderly transfer of power, and the situation was resolved by that evening. On January 7, the electoral vote tally resumed, officially confirming Biden and Kamala Harris as the president and vice president-elect.
The incident was condemned by political leaders across the United States, and an investigation into Trump's actions was launched. Some Republicans either supported the attack or failed to condemn Trump. The FBI initiated over 170 investigations. On January 13, the House of Representatives impeached Trump for "incitement of insurrection," making him the first president in U.S. history to be impeached twice.
The January 6 Capitol attack was the first time the Capitol had been breached since the British invasion of 1814. The Associated Press analyzed that the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing measures had fueled the spread of extremism and violence. This led to the consolidation of far-right groups, such as white nationalists and militia movements, which grew more radical through social media.
On November 3, 2020, Democratic candidate Joe Biden defeated incumbent President Donald Trump in the presidential election. However, after the election, Trump and some Republicans claimed widespread election fraud and attempted to overturn the results. These claims were primarily focused on five key battleground states: Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona, with Trump filing over 60 lawsuits and considering various methods to reverse the outcome.On January 6, 2021, Congress was scheduled to count the electoral votes and officially certify the winner of the election. Before the session, Trump pressured Vice President Mike Pence to reject Biden's victory. However, Pence announced in the afternoon that he would not reject the results.
Trump had planned a large rally on January 6 to challenge the election results in several states. On January 18, he stated, "There will be a massive rally in Washington on January 6. Everyone come, and it will be wild." The rally was organized by a group called "Women for America First," with logistics handled by a company founded by Tim Unes, who had worked on Trump's 2016 campaign.
Far-right political activist Ali Alexander predicted in December that the rally would escalate into violence, and that the protesters would call for violence against Congress, Vice President Pence, and the police. Many plans for the riot were discussed on alternative tech platforms like Reddit, Parler, and Telegram, where violent rhetoric and discussions about evading the police were common.
Financial support for the Trump supporters' rally came from several organizations and individuals. The group "Women for America First," which organized the "Save America" rally, received funding from a political slush fund led by Linda McMahon, and Alex Jones claimed to have paid $500,000 to secure the Ellipse Park for the rally. "Turning Point USA" also chartered more than 80 buses to take people to the Capitol.
On December 8, 2020, a Frenchman donated $500,000 in Bitcoin to far-right figures and organizations, some of which were involved in denying the Capitol invasion. The FBI was investigating whether the funds were used for illegal activities and whether other countries or organizations were involved. The FBI and other agencies also explored the possibility that hostile nations like Russia, Iran, and China might have fueled violence and conspiracy theories in the U.S.
Leading up to the January 6 Capitol attack, several organizations issued warnings. On December 21, a political consultant from the UK who studied Trump-related extremism warned that the event could turn violent, and deaths were possible. On December 29, the FBI sent a report to local police, warning of the possibility of armed protesters targeting the legislature. On January 5, the Washington Post revealed an FBI document predicting that the protesters were gathering in Washington and using violent language such as "war." However, the FBI decided not to distribute this information officially.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) warned on January 4 that Trump supporters were endorsing violent rhetoric. The UK security company G4S predicted on January 6 that violent groups would be in Washington between January 6 and the inauguration. The nonpartisan government monitoring group Advance Democracy reported finding 1,480 related posts from QAnon accounts.
In preparation for the events, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser requested support from the National Guard of the District of Columbia on December 31, 2020. The Guard was to assist in crowd management and traffic control, allowing local police to focus on safety issues. On January 4, 2021, Defense Secretary Christopher Miller approved the deployment of 340 National Guard troops, but only 114 were actually stationed.
However, three days before the riot, the Department of Defense offered twice to send National Guard support to the Capitol Police, but the Capitol Police declined, deeming it unnecessary. On January 4, Bowser recommended not deploying additional federal law enforcement and emphasized police cooperation without federal support. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund stated that after the attack, he had repeatedly requested National Guard assistance, but members of the House and Senate were hesitant to approve it.
The FBI had worked with extremists to prevent some protesters from traveling to Washington. Information sharing with the Capitol Police had taken place, but before the incident, the D.C. Police Chief said they had not received any information about an imminent Capitol breach, and the Capitol Police had only prepared for a typical protest.
Estimates of the number of protesters varied. U.S. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy estimated that between 2,000 and 80,000 people might show up, while the National Park Service estimated 30,000 participants for the "Save America" rally.
January 5 and 6, 2021 Protests and Capitol Storming
- Rally to Revival: Organized by Cindy Chafian, held at Freedom Plaza from afternoon to evening.
- Save the Republic: Organized by "Moms for America," held across from Russell Senate Office Building.
- One Nation Under God: Organized by Trump supporters and related groups, held in front of the Supreme Court.
- The Silent Majority: Organized by James Epley, held at the National Mall.
- Wild Protest: Organized by Stop the Steal, starting at 8th District in the morning of January 6.
- Freedom Rally: Organized by various groups, held on First Street.
