Capitol Riot Aftermath Pictures, Video Show Widespread Destruction

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Shattered glass, damaged furniture and a ransacked office left in disarray form the scene of the aftermath of the riots in Washington, D.C., according to images and videos shared on social media.

The violent protests on Wednesday saw supporters of President Donald Trump storm the U.S. Capitol in protest of the certification of the 2020 presidential election.

A video shared on Twitter by Ali Zaslav, a reporter for CNN, showed the "ransacked office of the Senate Parliamentarian."

Video footage from NewsNation Now, shared by Austin Kellerman (Director of Digital Content for Nexstar Media Group), also captured the impact of the office raid, with papers scattered everywhere and items abandoned, including an American flag and a "Stop the Steal" sign from the protest.

The ransacked office of the Senate Parliamentarian: pic.twitter.com/E7PsSgoAEX

— Ali Zaslav (@alizaslav) January 7, 2021

In one corner of the building was an abandoned large cloth sign, while another area had empty plastic water bottles and other items left at the base of statues, according to images from Getty pictured below.

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Christal Hayes, a reporter for USA Today, noted there was "glass everywhere" in a Twitter post sharing images of the scene.

"I'm inside the Capitol for @USATODAY. The aftermath of Trump rioters storming the building is jarring Glass everywhere, dust blankets the ground, broken benches turned on their side, used medical kit with an IV & AED machine that was used on a woman who was squeezed in the chaos," Hayes tweeted.

I’m inside the Capitol for @USATODAY. The aftermath of Trump rioters storming the building is jarring
Glass everywhere, dust blankets the ground, broken benches turned on their side, used medical kit with an IV & AED machine that was used on a woman who was squeezed in the chaos pic.twitter.com/aafYiH6GpD

— Christal Hayes (@Journo_Christal) January 7, 2021

Images shared by Jason Donner, Capitol Hill Producer at Fox News, captured further destruction in the Senate wing of the first floor of the Capitol.

The images showed more shattered glass, toppled furniture and windows boarded up, with more empty plastic bottles of water littered around the floor.

Daniella Diaz, another reporter for CNN, shared video of workers sweeping around the area where a woman was shot dead by a Capitol police officer.

"The same House chamber doors where the armed standoff took place hours ago is being cleaned for members to return for the joint session," Diaz tweeted.

The same House chamber doors where the armed standoff took place hours ago is being cleaned for members to return for the joint session: pic.twitter.com/JlZgzwci8n

— Daniella Diaz (@DaniellaMicaela) January 7, 2021

The riots at the Capitol have led to four deaths and more than 52 arrests, including 47 violations of the citywide curfew enacted by Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Wednesday.

The mayor's office said in a statement Wednesday: "First Amendment protests have turned violent. Many persons came to the District armed and for the purpose of engaging in violence and destruction and have engaged in violence and destruction.

More damage from the Senate wing of the first floor of the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/TNDycF0J5j

— Jason Donner (@jason_donner) January 7, 2021

"They have fired chemical irritants, bricks, bottles, and guns. They have breached the security of the Capitol and their destructive and riotous behavior has the potential to spread beyond the Capitol," the statement added.

World leaders and officials have reacted to the "distressing, disgraceful" scenes of rioting seen at the Capitol. Condemning the "acts of violence," they showed their solidarity with the American people and called for the "peaceful transfer of power" in several posts across social media.

U.S. Capitol building protests January 2020
Toppled furniture seen inside the U.S. Capitol building following violent protests by supporters of President Donald Trump on Wednesday. Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

The graphic below, produced by Statista, shows the percentage of adult Americans who feel violence to advance political goals is justified.

U.S. feelings on political violence
STATISTA

About the writer

Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel, health, home/interior design and property/real estate. Soo covered the COVID-19 pandemic extensively from 2020 to 2022, including several interviews with the chief medical advisor to the president, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Soo has reported on various major news events, including the Black Lives Matter movement, the U.S. Capitol riots, the war in Afghanistan, the U.S. and Canadian elections, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Soo is also a South Korea expert, covering the latest K-dramas—including the breakout hit Squid Game, which she has covered extensively, including from Seoul, the South Korean capital—as well as Korean films, such as the Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated Past Lives, and K-pop news, to interviews with the biggest Korean actors, such as Lee Jung-jae from Squid Game and Star Wars, and Korean directors, such as Golden Globe and Oscar nominee Celine Song. Soo is the author of the book How to Live Korean, which is available in 11 languages, and co-author of the book Hello, South Korea: Meet the Country Behind Hallyu. Before Newsweek, Soo was a travel reporter and commissioning editor for the award-winning travel section of The Daily Telegraph (a leading U.K. national newspaper) for nearly a decade from 2010, reporting on the latest in the travel industry, from travel news, consumer travel and aviation issues to major new openings and emerging destinations. Soo is a graduate of Binghamton University in New York and the journalism school of City University in London, where she earned a Masters in international journalism. You can get in touch with Soo by emailing s.kim@newsweek.com . Follow her on Instagram at @miss.soo.kim or X, formerly Twitter, at @MissSooKim .Languages spoken: English and Korean


Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in Read more