UNDERSTAND THERE’S TWO THINGS
ABOUT HOW EXTRAORDINARY THIS IS
AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HAVE NOT
BEEN ALLOWED IN THE CAPITOL FOR
THE LAST NINE OR TEN MONTHS
BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.
THIS HAS BEEN COMPLETELY SHUT
DOWN NOT TO MENTION THAT THIS
BREACH MEANS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF
THESE PROTESTERS HAS NOT BEEN
SCREENED.
THIS IS AN UNPRECEDENTED
SECURITY BREACH IN THE CAPITOL,
AT LEAST IN MY EXPERIENCE, WHERE
YOU HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE HERE WHO
HAVE NOT BEEN SCREENED BY
CAPITOL POLICE.
EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU GO IN THE
CAPITOL YOUR BAGS ARE CHECKED
AND POLICE DO A SWEEP OF WHAT
YOU ARE BRINGING INTO THE
CAPITOL.
EVERY ONE OF THE PROTESTERS HERE
HASN’T BEEN SCREENED BY CAPITOL
POLICE, I HAVE TO SAY AIDES AND
LAWMAKERS ARE MESSAGING US
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT’S
HAPPENING.
AS YOU CAN SEE, BOTH THE SENATE
AND THE HOUSE ARE ON LOCKDOWN
UNTIL THIS IS RESOLVED.
>> YEAH, IT IS INCREDIBLY
DISTURBING, WE’RE WATCHING RIGHT
NOW AS A NUMBER OF APPARENT
PROTESTERS NOW SEEM TO BE
PEACEFULLY OR VOLUNTARILY OR
SOMEHOW BEING LED OUT OF THE
CAPITOL RIGHT NOW.
MAYBE NOT.
IS THAT THE EXIT?
>> THAT CAMERA, THE SHOT WE HAVE
THAT YOU SEE RIGHT NOW IS OF
THEM WALKING TOWARDS THE HOUSE
CHAMBER.
THAT’S NOT THE EXIT.
>> TOWARDS THE HOUSE?
>> THEY’RE WALKING TOWARDS THE
HOUSE CHAMBER.
SO THEY’RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
THEY’RE GOING DIRECTLY TO WHERE
THE DEBATE IS IN THE HOUSE
CHAMBER.
>> KASIE HUNT, GIVE US YOUR
SENSE OF WHAT WE’RE SEEING HERE
AND WHAT’S HAPPENING INSIDE.
>> Reporter: SO, LESTER, OUR NBC
NEWS PRODUCER IS INSIDE THE
HOUSE CHAMBER RIGHT NOW.
SHE’S SERVING AS A PRODUCER FOR
MANY OF US BECAUSE, OF COURSE,
WE HAVE BEEN TAKING THE
CORONAVIRUS PRECAUTIONS.
SHE HAS BEEN LETTING US KNOW
FROM INSIDE THE CHAMBER WHAT’S
GOING ON.
THEY HAVE BEEN YELLING TO
MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE TO STAY
SEATED, WARNING THEM THAT THEY
MAY NEED TO GET UNDERNEATH THEIR
SEATS, SAYING THAT PEOPLE MAY
NEED TO RELOCATE TO THE
CLOAKROOM.
NOW THE CLOAK ROOMS ARE ROOMS
FOR INDIVIDUAL -- EACH PARTY HAS
ONE.
IT’S A PRIVATE GATHERING PLACE
FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS THAT
THEY’RE BOTH OFF THE HOUSE
FLOOR, BUT AS YOU WERE JUST
TALKING ABOUT WITH FRANK, YOU
SEE THOSE PROTESTERS PACKED IN
THERE, THE CLOAK ROOMS ARE
ACTUALLY IN BETWEEN THE HOUSE
FLOOR AND WHERE THE PROTESTERS
ARE, SO THE BENEFIT WOULD BE
THAT IT IS A CLOSED OFF AREA.
REMEMBER THE HOUSE CHAMBER IS A
BIG, WIDE OPEN SPACE.
THERE ARE PUBLIC GALLERIES
AROUND THE EDGES ON THE THIRD
FLOOR OF THE CAPITOL, THE
CHAMBER ITSELF IS ON THE SECOND
FLOOR, THE BUTTON THAT YOU PUSH
IN THE ELEVATOR IF YOU WANT TO
GO TO THE CHAMBER IS TWO.
UP ON THREE THERE ARE THESE
GALLERIES THE PUBLIC AND THE
PRESS TYPICALLY CAN GO AND SIT.
YOU MAY SEE THAT DURING STATE OF
THE UNION SPEECHES, FOR EXAMPLE,
OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
THERE ARE ALSO MEMBERS
APPARENTLY YELLING.
THERE’S A LOT OF CHAOS HALEY
REPORTS FROM THE CHAMBER ON THE
HOUSE FLOOR.
AND THIS, AGAIN, I MEAN, I THINK
WE NEED TO STEP BACK AND TAKE A
SECOND HERE, LESTER, TO
UNDERSCORE HOW RARE, UNUSUAL,
AND TROUBLING WHAT IS GOING ON
HERE IS.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT HAS
HAPPENED VERY FREQUENTLY.
IT’S NOT UNPRECEDENTED THAT
THERE HAS BEEN A BREACH OF THE
HOUSE CHAMBER, BUT IT WAS MANY,
MANY YEARS AGO.
I’M GOING TO HAVE TO GO AND DO
MY RESEARCH INTO -- THERE WAS A
SHOOTING THAT OCCURRED MANY
YEARS AGO, PUERTO RICAN ACTIVIST
SHOT DOWN ON THE FLOOR.
IF YOU PULL OUT THE DRAWER AND
ONE OF THE DESKS, THE BULLET
HOLE IS STILL THERE FROM THAT
INCIDENT BUT, OF COURSE, THE
IDEA THEN THEY LEARNED A LOT
FROM THAT INCIDENT AND THAT
THINGS LIKE THAT WERE NEVER
SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN AGAIN.
SO THE RARITY OF SOMEONE
ACTUALLY GETTING INTO THE HOUSE
CHAMBER AND DOING SOMETHING LIKE
THIS REALLY CANNOT BE
OVERSTATED.
AGAIN, THESE PROTESTERS RIGHT
NOW FROM WHAT WE CAN SEE ON OUR
CAMERAS ARE OUTSIDE THE HOUSE
CHAMBER, OUTSIDE THE DOORS.
NOW THE QUESTION IS WHETHER
THEY’LL GET INTO THOSE DOORS
AND, AGAIN, I’M LOOKING AT THESE
TEXTS FROM HALEY TALBOTT, OUR
PRODUCER WHO IS ON THE SCENE
THERE AND WHO IS IN THE ROOM