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Austin politicians disavow Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol, prompting a lockdown
The Texas Capitol was closed for much of 2020 and only recently reopened ahead of the 2021 legislative session. The Texas Department of Public Safety reclosed it on Wednesday afternoon.
U.S. congresspeople representing the Austin area and state of Texas disavowed the violent mob of Trump supporters that stormed the U.S. Capitol early Wednesday afternoon, prompting a lockdown.
In the wake of the Georgia special election on Tuesday, which will likely flip the U.S. Senate, Congress was scheduled to affirm President-elect Joe Biden's win in a joint session on Wednesday afternoon. Vice President Mike Pence issued a statement shortly before the session began at 1 p.m., saying that he did not have the power to discard electoral votes in favor of Biden.
Within the hour, however, Trump supporters outside of the Capitol began fighting with Capitol police. They then broke into the building and into its chambers, delaying the congressional proceedings.
Around mid-afternoon, the Texas Department of Public Safety closed the state Capitol and its grounds in response to what is happening at the U.S. Capitol, according to local reports.
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, a Democrat who represents a district stretching from Austin to San Antonio, tweeted an update shortly after 2 p.m., disavowing the president.
I am currently safe, but the Capitol has been breached and some colleagues are trapped there. President Trump has s… https://t.co/QAn5eI2KtO— Lloyd Doggett (@Lloyd Doggett)1609963752.0
Doggett was joined by his Republican colleagues U.S. Reps. Roger Williams, Michael McCaul, John Carter and Chip Roy, who also represent districts including portions of Central Texas.
The Constitution gives our citizens the right to peacefully assemble. It does not give them the right to destroy pr… https://t.co/t8je3ve9VT— Rep. Roger Williams (@Rep. Roger Williams)1609964280.0
I like many people voted for President Trump in the 2020 election and hoped for a different result. But violence an… https://t.co/Fh8MqGmkMu— Michael McCaul (@Michael McCaul)1609962032.0
Peaceful protests are a fundamental right in the United States, but violence is absolutely unacceptable. Respect… https://t.co/RaghVT7YL4— Judge Carter (@Judge Carter)1609963886.0
God help us. https://t.co/pEy5JR4du7— Chip Roy (@Chip Roy)1609960173.0
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who represents the state of Texas, also commented on the afternoon's events, prompting criticism for his objection to the counting of Arizona's electoral votes because of baseless allegations of widespread voter fraud during the Nov. 3 general election.
Those storming the Capitol need to stop NOW. The Constitution protects peaceful protest, but violence—from Left o… https://t.co/lY1O3sYlGI— Ted Cruz (@Ted Cruz)1609963624.0
President Donald Trump initially encouraged protesters but later told his supporters at the Capitol to "remain peaceful" in a tweet.
Reports show protesters roaming the halls of the Capitol and waving Confederate flags. Journalists, congresspeople and Capitol staff have been photographed hiding behind blockaded doors and lying face down on the ground while armed Capitol security guard them.
Hundreds of Trump supporters gathered at the Texas Capitol on Wednesday morning in solidarity with the D.C. protests and similar events across the country.
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Austin FC couldn't find the stamina to fight off a 2-0 loss against LAFC for their inaugural match on Saturday.
The match, which saw No. 21 Austin FC go head-to-head with No. 2 LAFC in Los Angeles, was broadcast nationally on FOX and FOX Deportes.
Salute the support. 👏
It's only the beginning for @AustinFC. pic.twitter.com/TduorqYr2y
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 18, 2021
Eleven players took the stage as Austin FC players for the first time, with five starters making their MLS debut. "Ringleader" Alex Ring took the captain's armband and wore it well. The defensive midfielder could be seen leading his teammates through their first ever match, but it wasn't enough to stage an Austin takeover in LA.
In the signature style of Head Coach Josh Wolff, the team played with quickness and intensity, nearly connecting on several fast breaks. It was harder for them to stay in front, however, something that Wolff credits with quick decision making and a tough LAFC defense.
"We have a quick attacking team, but I think when you make quick attacks and it fizzles it's just about some decision making," Wolff said. "Are we in position to finish attacks? If not, can we reestablish our attack and get stuff better?"
The club was given some generous breaks from No. 2 LAFC, who had one or both of their star DPs out for the half. While forward Diego Rossi is out for the entire match due to a hamstring injury, Carlos Vela was accidentally pulled too soon on what turned out to be a miscommunication.
"He gave us the sign that he needed to come off," LAFC Head Coach Bob Bradley said on broadcast. "I can't say more than maybe it's my fault."
LA pulled some dramatics and slowly gained more possession throughout the half, but ATXFC's defense wasn't initially as shaky as it seemed in preseason. Jhohan Romana has pulled his weight in getting the ball out of goal, and a 34-year old Matt Besler held his own in center back.
As the second half commenced, however, it became clear that LAFC had the advantage over Austin's first major league team.
Goalkeeper Brad Stuver had his work cut out for him, fending off 24 shot attempts, 11 of which were on goal. He didn't have much time to prepare, either: in the first 30 seconds of play, Stuver had already made a save to keep the match 0-0.
LAFC finally connected in the 61st minute of play as Corey Baird shot one into the bottom right corner. The team capitalized off their momentum and put one past Stuver a second time, drawing roars of approval from the LAFC crowd.
While some last-minute attempts from Jon Gallagher and others were made, Austin FC didn't have the endurance to bring a tie. After seven additional minutes of stoppage time, the club lost their first match 2-0.
While the scoreboard tells one story, Wolff said that the team did well considering the skill of LAFC and the pressure of their club debut.
"We've got to be realistic," Wolff said. "This is the first time this organization has been in front of TV with an opportunity to show itself and I think there were some promising moments. And we're going to maximize those and continue to try to develop those, but there's lots to build on."
The team may have lost, but it still won the support of thousands of Verde fans, dozens of which made it to watch their team's first match. When Stuver and the team made it to bthe stadium, Los Verdes fans were already there to show support, and Stuver said his wife saw the same back in Austin.
"The moment that we pulled into the stadium, we saw Black and Verde fans cheering us on as we got to the stadium," Stuver said. "During warm up, you can just look around and see different groups sitting in different sections of the stadium and it's just truly amazing to see the support in our first game. We know that we want to give the fans everything, because this we play for the city and we play for them."