Storming the Capitol shocked world leaders and American citizens, observed Grumpy Editor --- who couldn’t believe what he saw on television.
Thousands of protesters --- most without masks to curb spreading coronavirus --- flooded the area as some climbed the walls to the Capitol, fighting police in uniform.
Chaos at the Capitol, the center of American democracy, which led to five deaths, saw violent protesters smash furnishings and doors, TV camera equipment and assorted punches, some aimed at reporters and photographers.
“Murder the media” was carved into a door of the Capitol.
As Poynter pointed out: This was “the most significant breach of an American government institution since the Battle of Bladensburg on Aug. 24th, 1814, when the British came and burned the Capitol and also burned the White House.”
Protesters carrying (and dragging) American flags must have affected many U.S. military veterans --- and those who remember photos of raising the U.S. flag at Iwo Jima during World War II.
Last Wednesday began as a day of reckoning for President Donald Trump’s attempt to cling to power, as Congress took up the certification of President-elect Joe Biden.
“What a disgrace,” declared the Wall Street Journal in an editorial Thursday. The Journal also said “Once the mob was inside, the call went out for backup from Virginia and Maryland, and the National Guard was activated. But it’s a scandal that the U.S. Capitol wasn’t better protected on such a significant day.”
“(Joe) Biden will become President at noon on Jan. 20, and until then the police need to restore order with as much force as necessary.”
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