© 2021 Classroom Ready. All rights reserved. WEEK 17 • 2020/21 www.classroomready.com LEVEL 2 WORD POWER Weekly News U.S. Capitol Riots T he U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., is instantly recognizable. The white- domed building standing on a hill is the place where Congress, consisting of America’s elected representatives and senators, meet. The building is one of the most distinct symbols of American democracy. On January 6, 2021, it became a symbol of violence and conflict. The events began earlier in the day as thousands of avid supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump gathered in Washington to hear the president speak. The supporters had come from across the United States at the president’s request. President Trump repeated accusations the election was stolen from him. He lost the presidential election held on November 3, 2020, to Joe Biden. Trump called the election “rigged” and said there was widespread voter fraud, although no evidence has been found. President Trump then told the crowd to go to Capitol Hill. On Capitol Hill, Congress had gathered to make President-Elect Biden’s victory official with a routine, ceremonial vote. President Trump and his supporters saw this as the last chance to reverse the election results. The crowd gathered at the steps of the Capitol building. They broke through barriers set up to stop them. They overwhelmed police officers gathered to defend the building. They smashed through doors and swarmed into the building. U.S. representatives and senators voting on Biden’s election victory were interrupted. They were quickly evacuated to a safe area by the Secret Service. The mob rambled through the Capitol building, stealing, breaking things, and taking selfies. Trump used Twitter to tell them to go home. Much of this was captured on live TV and social media feeds. People around the world watched. Five people, including one police officer, died during the rampage. Eventually, police and the National Guard regained control. Some of the mob—who have been called terrorists and insurrectionists—have been arrested. The FBI and police are looking for more. Meanwhile, President Trump has been condemned for his role in triggering this assault on American democracy. Many are calling for his resignation or impeachment even though there are only a short number of days until January 20, Inauguration Day, when Joe Biden will officially become President of the United States. Twitter has permanently banned Trump from its platform. Trump had more than 88 million followers on Twitter. DID YOU KNOW ? SECRET SERVICE: The U.S. group responsible for protecting the president and other high-level elected officials. INSURRECTIONIST: Someone who supports resisting or overthrowing the established government by violent or illegal means. IMPEACHMENT: A process in the U.S. government where a public official, including the president, can be charged with wrongdoing, leading to a trial that can remove the official from his or her office.