WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES JANUARY 14, 2021 17
Meng recalls being ‘afraid’ while barricaded in
office during invasion of U.S. Capitol building
Photo courtesy of Meng’s offi ce
worried about the unusual police
presence.
“But I left it up to maybe me being
there so early in the morning, since
no one was supposed to protest till
later in the day,” she said. “From what
I’ve seen on socials and TV, offi cers
seemed to get overwhelmed and rioters
were able to infi ltrate.”
Meng, a member of the House
Appropriations Committee, which
funds the Capitol Police, said they’re
launching an investigation into the
security breach as some of her fellow
Congress members have asked
for a full and transparent review of
proceedings.
“I’ve been in Congress for a few
years now. I’ve seen so many protests
and large gatherings all the time, the
most recent being the BLM protests,”
she said. “It seems that every other
large gathering have had a strong
showing of police offi cers with barricades
up far away from the Capitol
building’s entrance. They didn’t seem
to have a strong presence yesterday.”
Meng joined several Queens lawmakers
in calling for the immediate
removal of Trump from offi ce, stating
he “incited yesterday’s chaos,
violence, and destruction at the U.S.
Capitol.”
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
AACEVEDO@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
One day aft er supporters of President
Donald Trump rioted and
invaded the Capitol building in
Washington, D.C., as members of the
House and Senate were in the process
of counting the electoral votes that
certifi ed President-elect Joe Biden’s
win, Queens Congresswoman Grace
Meng recalled the day’s events during
a conversation with QNS.
Speaking from her apartment in
D.C. aft er leaving the Capitol around
3:30 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 7, Meng
said she feels “fi ne” now, but said she
was “very nervous when everything
was happening.”
“Aft er the Capitol police rescued us, I
felt much better,” Meng told QNS.
Meng, who represent Queens’
Sixth Congressional District, had to
barricade herself in a side offi ce of the
Capitol building when hundreds of
pro-Trump rioters began to approach
the entrance. At around 1:30 p.m., she
said she received alerts about one of
the Capitol’s three buildings being
evacuated.
Meng said she was worried, as she
knew “the public wasn’t supposed to be
in the buildings.” She then got another
warning to stay away from windows
and doors, and to shelter in place.
Within minutes, she began to feel
afraid.
“I heard a lot of thumping coming
from outside … then I saw on TV that
they were starting to march right
outside our door,” said Meng, who
added she could growing hear chants
coming from outside the building. “I
didn’t know if they had weapons or if
they were peaceful.”
Meng immediately turned off the
lights, turned the TV on mute and put
her phone on silent.
“I was still afraid they’d fi nd me or
come in,” she said, so she decided to
push chairs in front of the door, with
a gas mask on her side.
Meng said she was just 20 feet from
where a woman who was with the pro-
Trump rioters breached the building
was shot. It was later confi rmed the
woman died.
Throughout the ordeal, Meng said
she was in contact with her family and
friends via text messages as they saw
the chaos unfold on the news, but she
wasn’t comfortable speaking on the
phone because she didn’t want the
rioters to hear her.
Meng said that aft er an hour and
a half, none of the rioters broke into
the offi ce where she was sheltered,
as Capitol police with, help from the
National Guard and FBI, eventually
secured the building.
She was relieved, as she didn’t know
“how successful” her barricade would
have been.
When asked whether she would
have expected anything like what occurred
on Wednesday to take place in
what many people consider the safest
place in the country, she said “not at
all.”
“I had no training at all,” Meng said,
laughing nervously.
But aft er hours of rioting delayed
the certifi cation of votes — a routine
and ceremonial function aft er the
Electoral College offi cially elected
Biden — both the House and Senate
returned to offi cially begin the transition
of power.
Meng said she doesn’t believe Congress’
role is to overturn votes made
by Americans.
“It’s important that we let Americans
voice their decisions at the ballot box,”
she said. “Last time Hilary Clinton
lost, she was my candidate, and I didn’t
like that she lost, but I accepted it. I
represent Democrats, Republicans
and everyone in between. But at the
end of the day, I don’t believe Congress
has the right to overturn elections.”
However, one troubling aspect of the
chaos that ensued on Wednesday was
the response from Capitol police. On
Twitter, Meng said she’d seen a much
bigger police presence months prior
during Black Lives Matter protests.
“I’ve never been scared for my life
during BLM protests, I was terrifi ed
for my life today,” she wrote in a tweet.
“I said ‘bye’ to family & friends & I’m
still hiding.”
Meng arrived at the Capitol early in
the morning in order to beat crowds
and traffic, and was momentarily
ACTS OF KINDNESS
A rousing success
Queensboro Unico’s annual Toys For Tots campaign was an outstanding
success, according to the organization. Queensboro Unico, with the
support of its members, friends and associates, collected approximately
2,500 toys, adding to the more than 100,000 toys the U. S. Marines Toys
for Tots campaign will distribute to children in need throughout New
York City. On behalf of Queensboro Unico, Chapter President Gaspare
Mistretta accepted the “Commanders Award” from the U. S. Marine
Corps. for outstanding community service. Queensboro Unico thanks
the Toys for Tots committee, supporters and its members for helping to
make the annual toy drive successful. The organization would also like
to thank Giovanni Perna and family, Polizzi Generosa NY, Joel Lapadura
and Family, Mike Centineo and Vincenzo Armano, as well as Anna and
Anthony Porretto and family. Courtesy of Queensboro Unico
link
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