(NEXSTAR) – Law enforcement officers at the US Capitol building had their guns drawn in the House Chamber Wednesday as demonstrators appeared to attempt to break-in to the room.
Photos show three officers pointing pistols at a vandalized door in an attempt to barricade the room.
The House Chamber, a large assembly in the center of the Capitol’s south wing, is also known as the Hall of the House Representations. Here, lawmakers meet to introduce, debate and vote on legislation.
Demonstrators swarmed the U.S. Capitol Wednesday, forcing an abrupt halt to deliberations over Republican challenges to Joe Biden’s presidential victory. Republicans in a joint session of Congress were mounting their first formal challenge to Biden’s election win.
Outside, meanwhile, demonstrators are protesting the joint session, which is to confirm Biden’s victory in the Electoral College. The typically routine proceeding, required by law, was anything but ordinary. The president’s Republican allies plan to object to several states’ election results. Many say they are heeding the pleas of the president’s supporters’ to “fight for Trump.”