WASHINGTON — A memorial placard for the late Congressman John Lewis was ruined in the riots at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, according to Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer.
Hoyer, the House Majority Leader, tweeted photos of the placard outside his office and wrote:
"While rioters shamefully destroyed this tribute to my brother John Lewis yesterday, let his words continue to echo in the halls of Congress and in our hearts. Let us always stand up, speak up, and speak out against injustice and for our democracy."
Lewis, a Civil Rights hero, was widely regarded as the "conscience of Congress" and he was honored with a number of tributes in Washington following his death last year.
He laid in state at the Capitol Rotunda, the first Black lawmaker to do so in that part of the building, which is often reserved for the most prominent and significant national figures.
One woman was shot and killed in the riots, and three others reportedly died of medical emergencies, as a pro-Trump mob tore into the U.S. Capitol.
Images spread of supporters of President Trump breaking into the Capitol building, wandering the Senate and House floors, and in some cases ransacking the offices of lawmakers.
Photos: Trump supporters storm US capitol during Electoral College affirmation
One particularly viral photo showed a man with his feet up on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's desk. 11Alive's Arkansas sister station spoke with the man, who is from that state, and identified him as Richard Barnett. He acknowledged leaving a profane note on her desk.
The woman shot and killed was identified as 34-year-old Ashli Babbit.
A woman from Kennesaw, 34-year-old Roseanne Boyland, was later identified as one of the three people who died of medical emergencies.