BBC News Published image captionPresident-elect Joe Biden called the riot an "insurrection" Images of rioters storming the US Capitol in a bid to overturn the result of a democratic election have sent shockwaves around the world. Four people died during the attack, launched by supporters of President Trump after he addressed a rally in Washington. President-elect Joe Biden called it an "insurrection", while Vice-President Mike Pence said the violence had been a "dark day in the history of the United States Capitol". But this is not the first time the building - regarded as the symbolic heart of US democracy - has been hit by violence.