The US Senate reconvened late Wednesday and resumed the process of certifying Joe Biden’s presidential election victory, after a mob protesting Donald Trump’s defeat violently invaded the Capitol building.
“As we reconvene in this chamber, the world will again witness the resilience and strength of our democracy,” Vice President Mike Pence said as he brought the Senate into session.
“To those who wreaked havoc in our Capitol today, you did not win. Violence never wins, freedom wins,” Pence added. “And this is still the people’s house.”
It should have been one of the most straightforward days of the US presidential transition, with Congress certifying Democrat Joe Biden’s victory — a procedure so routine it usually merits little if any news coverage.
Instead the world watched in shock and horror on Wednesday as a mob of Donald Trump supporters, encouraged by the president, stormed the US Capitol in a bid to thwart lawmakers from their constitutional duty.
AFP