Early clashes with police in DC ahead of Electoral College vote
Police can be seen using pepper spray to stop the crowd from marching ahead
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Your support makes all the difference.Clashes erupted at the Black Lives Matter square in Washington DC after hundreds of Donald Trump supporters gathered in the city following calls made by the outgoing president to protest against alleged election fraud.
The protest took place just a day before the Congress is set to vote and certify Joe Biden’s victory over Mr Trump and soon escalated into a ruckus as police tried to control the angry crowd. Mr Trump said on Tuesday on Twitter that people “won’t stand for a landslide election victory to be stolen.”
Several videos circulating on Twitter show crowds of Trump supporters scuffling with the police. In one video, police officers can be seen using pepper-spray to hold the crowd back and dragging a woman away. A few from the crowd holding American flags are seen aggressively pushing the officers.
According to the Daily Beast, the clashes reportedly kicked off after the far-right group Proud Boys tried to force their way through a police line at Black Lives Matter Plaza and officers pushed them back.
Washington police banned the leader of a far-right group from the city and made two arrests on Tuesday, news agency Reuters reported.
In another Video, Trump supporters, a few of them wearing red caps, can be heard chanting “F*** Antifa” in presence of a heavy police force.
Mr Trump announced that he is going to speak in the city on Wednesday and called for his protestors to prevent the elections from getting stolen, a false claim that has been repeated by the president and his supporters despite authorities ruling out any possibility of rigging or fraud.
Over 50 lawsuits filed by Mr Trump’s lawyers have been rejected or withdrawn due to lack of substantial proof, the latest addition to the list being the lawsuit filed in Georgia to decertify the results.
But Trump continues to refuse to concede with just two weeks remaining for the inauguration of Joe Biden.
Washington DC’s security had been ramped up keeping the protests in mind.
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