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Man carrying torch, flare arrested at US Capitol: ‘Smelled like fuel’
US Capitol police said that the visitor center has been closed and further investigation is underway.
The United States Capitol Police on Tuesday arrested a man who “smelled like fuel, had a torch and a flare gun”.
The US Capitol police said that the Capitol visitor center has been closed and further investigation is underway.
The incident occurred as millions of Americans stood in lines at polling booths nationwide to cast their ballots for the 2024 US presidential elections. Follow US elections LIVE here.
Earlier, several landmarks in Washington DC were fortified to prepare for potential civil unrest. Heavy fencing, including anti-climb barriers, were put in place across the White House, US Capitol, and Vice President Kamala Harris’s residence.
Many establishments near the White House and Capitol Hill had boarded up their windows, hoping to protect against vandalism.
In 2021, a mob had stormed the US Capitol on January 6 to disrupt Congress, which was about to confirm Joe Biden’s win in the 2020 presidential election against Donald Trump.
Also Read | What happened after Donald Trump lost the 2020 US presidential election?
Hundreds of Trump supporters had attacked Capitol police, broke into the building, and vandalized it on that day, resulting in the deaths of three police officers and three rioters.
The attack was allegedly aimed to stop Biden from taking office and was seen as an insurrection, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) labelling it ‘domestic terrorism.’
Trump, who allegedly urged his supporters to march to the Capitol that day, was impeached by the House for “incitement of insurrection,” but was later acquitted by the Senate.
‘Wasn’t organised by me': Donald Trump
Last month, the former US president had brushed off allegations against him, claiming that he spoke “peacefully and patriotically", and that he made no calls for violence. He had also blamed Democrat Nancy Pelosi for not stepping up Capitol security.
“It wasn't organized by me; it was done by others. I offered 10,000 National Guard or soldiers, but they rejected me. Nancy Pelosi rejected me,” Trump had said.
