A mob of Donald Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol building last night in a bid to overthrow the certification of November’s presidential election result.

With two weeks to go until Joe Biden is set to become US president, the rioters broke into the building in response to Trump’s call to protest his election defeat, which he has repeatedly claimed was the result of fraudulent voting.

Four people died in the violence which overtook Washington DC yesterday, including a woman who was shot by Capitol police. Three others are said to have died in “medical emergencies,” the DC police chief said. 

For those of us living outside the US, it can be hard to wrap our heads around the events that took place inside the Capitol building yesterday – especially with the situation still unfolding as we speak. 

With this in mind, here are a selection of tweets which provide a snapshot of the riots which took place yesterday – and what they could mean for the future of the USA.

There were messages of shock, anger and fear as the mob broke through security

As images from inside the building began to circulate

Politicians and world leaders expressed their disbelief

Many were quick to point out the blatant hypocrisy in the way police treated the rioters

Celebrities added their reactions to the mix

Twitter began restricting Trump’s tweets

As it was confirmed that at least one person had been killed in the violence

There was reflection on the events leading up to today

As people were left to think about what last night might mean for the future of the USA

And Stacey Abrams left us all with this powerful message

Image: Getty