Hundreds defy curfew as protests continue

Hundreds of demonstrators continue to congregate around the US Capitol building in defiance of a city-wide curfew in Washington DC following a day of chaos and unrest.

Mayor Muriel Bowser ordered the curfew from 6pm local time (10am AEDT) until 6am tomorrow.

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Police and National Guard are out in force to surround the US Capitol building, but crowds do not appear to have dispersed.

"Traitors get the rope," one was filmed shouting at police.

"Wait until we come back with rifles, motherf--er. You think that's an idle threat?"

The Capitol's sergeant-at-arms has said the building itself is now secure after the Metropolitan Police and National Guard cleared the building of protesters.

The entire DC National Guard has been mobilised to enforce the 12-hour long curfew, the New York Times has reported.

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About 1,100 members of the District of Columbia National Guard and 650 Virginia National Guard troops — higher numbers than previously announced — will deploy in Washington tonight, National Guard spokesperson, Captain Tinashe T. Machona, said.

The troops are being sent to the DC Armory and will be deployed to the Capitol and other points around Washington.

DC's Metropolitan Police are now patrolling the halls of Congress after the failure of Capitol Police to secure the building earlier today.

Members of Congress are now returning to the Capitol to finalise the certification of the presidential election result.

"The US Senate must reconvene today and finish our constitutional work," Trump acolyte and South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham tweeted earlier.

"Calling for federal officials to form task force to identify those who breached the Capitol, vandalised our national institutions, and expect prosecutions to the fullest extent of the law."



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