East Bay Reps Are Safe As Mob Descends On U.S. Capitol

EAST BAY, CA — Congressional representatives in the East Bay were safe Wednesday after a mob of President Donald Trump's supporters forced their way into the U.S. Capitol Wednesday, attempting to stop the ceremonial counting of Electoral College ballots that identify Joe Biden as the nation's next president.

U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), whose district includes Fremont, shared a harrowing experience on Twitter: "An audio message just rang out in the Capitol telling us to get away from all doors [and] windows," he wrote.

"We're certifying the 2020 election as is required by the [U.S.] Constitution. Peaceful protest is the hallmark of our democracy," Khanna wrote. "No one should fear for their safety in the [U.S.] Capitol building."

U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) — who represents eastern Alameda County and the Contra Costa city of San Ramon — is also safe, his spokesperson confirmed.

"As [r]epresentatives, we swear on oath to defend the [U.S.] Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic," he wrote on Twitter. "Any elected official who does not denounce this full[-]frontal assault on our democracy is assisting a coup attempt on the Capitol."

U.S. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), who represents most of Contra Costa County, said that he and his staff were safe in the Capitol complex, just hours after he tweeted about "a historic day here in Washington as the House meets to certify the Biden-Harris victory."

"This type of violence has no place in a democracy," he wrote.

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) — whose district includes Alameda County cities from Berkeley to San Leandro — said she prayed for the safety of those around her.

"Donald Trump is the only person responsible for this attempted coup," she wrote on Twitter. "Our democracy will prevail."

Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), the North Bay congressman whose district stretches into a small portion of Contra Costa, said he was sheltering at a secure area in the Capitol and would give more updates in the future.

"This is a very sad day for democracy," he said on Twitter.

A woman was fatally shot in the struggle, the Washington Post reported. Some protesters donned armor as they pushed their way past overwhelmed Capitol Police officers and barricades, ABC reported.

Back in the Golden State, hundreds gathered outside the California State Capitol to protest election results Wednesday. Fights had been reported in the crowd and law enforcement officers are maintaining a presence there, Sacramento police said. Multiple people were arrested because they carried pepper spray, police said.

In Southern California, protests took place in Los Angeles and Huntington Beach.

As tensions at the U.S. Capitol escalated, Trump posted a video on Twitter repeating baseless claims of election fraud. He urged protesters to go home and heed law enforcement officers.

"We have to have peace, we have to have law and order," he said. "We don't want anybody hurt."

Shortly before those remarks, Biden condemned the protests at a news conference, calling them "an assault of the most sacred of American undertakings: the doing of the people's business."

The president-elect said he was shocked and saddened to see the country "come to such a dark moment," and called the protesters lawless extremists who are not representative of the country.

"This is not dissent," he said. "It's disorder, it's chaos, it borders on sedition, and it must end now."

Read more:

Trump Mob Breach Locked Down Capitol; 1 Shot In Melee

Protesters Amass In CA In 'Wild' Protest Of 2020 Election Results

— Patch editor Kat Schuster contributed to this report