AUSTIN, Texas – On the day the House and Senate met in a joint session to count the electoral votes from the November election, protests erupted in our nation’s capital, and they broke out at the State Capitol in Austin, Texas, as well.

Just after 1 p.m., Spectrum News 1 reporter Niki Griswold estimated a crowd of about a few hundred pro-President Donald Trump protesters at the Capitol steps and 11th Street and Congress Avenue.

Austin protesters carried pro-Trump and “Stop the Steal” signs as well as American flags. Some even wore Q-Anon attire.  

In Washington, protesters breached the Capitol, forcing a lockdown as lawmakers argued over the validity of the election.

The scene in Austin was nowhere near as volatile. Still, despite escalating COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the Austin area, few protesters wore masks.

In Washington, protesters tore down metal barricades at the bottom of the Capitol’s steps and were met by officers in riot gear. Some tried to push past the officers who held shields and officers could be seen firing pepper spray into the crowd to keep them back. Some in the crowd were shouting “traitors” as officers tried to keep them back.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.