Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Local sources: Civilians, including children and women, were injured in the al-Maqous neighborhood of Sweida, in Syria, as a result of ongoing clashes
Israeli media outlet: Security incident reported in the Gaza Strip
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson: No new date or venue has been set for the meeting between Araghchi and Witkoff, and no negotiations will take place until the outcome is guaranteed
Palestinian platforms: Settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque complex under the protection of the occupation police
Palestinian platforms: The IOF detonated a booby-trapped robot east of the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City
Syrian Defense: We call on all parties in Sweida to cooperate with security forces and exercise restraint
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese Army is continuing its investigations and will later announce any information that does not affect the confidentiality of the investigation
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: It has not yet been determined whether the detainees belong to ISIS or another organization
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Around 10 people of different nationalities, including Lebanese nationals, were detained
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese army arrested a number of people in the Matn area of Mount Lebanon with possession it has not disclosed

US Capitol evacuation over false alarm provokes fear, fury

  • By Al Mayadeen Net
  • Source: Agencies
  • 21 Apr 2022 08:43
4 Min Read

An aircraft that "poses a probable threat" was tracked.

  • x
  • US Capitol evacuation over false alarm provokes fear and fury.
    US Capitol evacuation over false alarm provokes fear and fury.

The US Capitol was briefly evacuated on Wednesday when authorities issued a threat alert over a trivial parachute act, causing House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to chastise aviation officials for an "inexcusable" failure.

Police responsible for securing the complex at the heart of the US government in Washington released an initial statement just after 6:30 pm (2230 GMT), stating that they had ordered an evacuation due to "tracking an aircraft that poses a probable threat."

They did not provide any other information. The mini-crisis, however, was caused by a pre-planned flyover at adjacent Nationals Stadium.

The news quickly became a top headline in the United States, where memories of the September 11, 2001 attacks, in which Al-Qaeda flew passenger jets into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, and the January 6, 2021 protesters storming of the Capitol are still fresh.

US Capitol Police quickly issued a second statement, stating that the order was issued "out of an abundance of caution," that there was no longer a "danger" to the complex, and that facilities had reopened for usage.

pic.twitter.com/KuYwBko1Md

— Ashley Kenny (@sowiththatsaid) April 21, 2022

At the time of the fear, neither the House of Representatives nor the Senate, the two chambers of Congress housed in the Capitol, were in session.

Read more: US Police: Bomb outside the Capitol

The event, however, enraged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who issued a scathing statement shortly after the evacuation order was rescinded, slamming the Federal Aviation Administration for the "misunderstanding".

The FAA's "apparent failure" to notify Capitol police of the planned flyover was "outrageous and inexcusable," Pelosi said. 

"The unnecessary panic caused by this apparent negligence was particularly harmful" for those still facing trauma from the January 6 attack on the Capitol, she said, adding that Congress would review "what precisely went wrong today and who at the Federal Aviation Administration will be held accountable for this outrageous and frightening mistake."

There was no apparent explanation for the order, but Pelosi made it clear that it was prompted by a parachute display during a baseball pregame entertainment at Nationals Stadium for "Military Appreciation Night."

Related News

China-US trade falls 10.4% in H1-2025 to $289.36 billion

Senate blames Secret Service failures for Trump assassination attempt

Stressful minutes 

Garrett Haake, NBC's Capitol Hill correspondent, tweeted, "Just observed some people parachute down over/near the US Capitol under an evacuation order."

You can pretty well hear the fury in @SpeakerPelosi’s statement tonight on the Golden Knights/ Capitol evacuation mess, calling the failure to notify the USCP an “outrageous and frightening mistake”: pic.twitter.com/9NWRKmk3Nj

— Garrett Haake (@GarrettHaake) April 21, 2022

According to NBC, they were part of a Golden Knights exhibition at the stadium. The Golden Knights are the official aerial parachute display squad of the United States Army.

"Seems they might not have told Capitol Police they'd be in the airspace. One officer here told me she saw the small plane appearing to circle before the parachuters jumped," Haake tweeted.

Just watched some people parachute down over/near the US Capitol amid an evacuation order. Trying to figure out where they landed.

— Garrett Haake (@GarrettHaake) April 20, 2022

The stadium is located approximately 1.5 miles (2.5 kilometers) from the Capitol. The Nationals faced the Arizona Diamondbacks there on Wednesday.

Just 15 months ago, supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol in an attempt to prevent the certification of Joe Biden's presidential election victory.

Even though the panic on Wednesday was a hoax, politicians and visitors were frightened by it.

Read more: White House to hold Trump responsible for Jan. 6 'chaos and carnage'

"We just went through a very stressful 15 minutes, but we are thankful that everyone is safe," congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez said on Twitter.

https://t.co/LN6UK31zSe

— Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (@RepTeresaLF) April 21, 2022

CNN's congressional correspondent Ryan Nobles said he was among those evacuated, and that "for a good 15 minutes it was pretty frantic."

"The alarms were loud and intense and Capitol Police were not messing around getting people out," he tweeted.

Two young Swiss tourists visiting Washington said they were on their way to the famous white-domed Capitol for a tour when police waved them away.

"They shut the security barriers behind us. They didn't tell us why and I thought it was better not to ask," one of the tourists, who asked not to be named, told AFP.

  • US Capitol
  • United States
  • Nancy Pelosi
  • Garrett Haake

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Major ambush in Gaza kills 6 Israeli troops, injures dozens

Major ambush in Gaza kills 5 Israeli troops, injures 14

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Israeli soldiers are seen in Beit Hanoun ahead of an operation by the al-Qassam Brigades, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

'Israel' on blast as media exposes report discrepancies in Gaza ambush

  • Palestine
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
The Freedom Flotilla ship Handala as it departs for Gaza, where it aims to break the maritime blockade at a port in Syracuse, Sicily in southern Italy on July 13, 2025. (AFP)
Palestine

Freedom Flotilla's Handala departs Sicily in bid to break Gaza siege

The container ship CMA CGM Laperouse, left, docks at the Georgia Ports Authority's Port of Savannah, Sept. 29, 2021, in Savannah, Ga (AP)
Politics

US shipbuilding woes deepen as tariffs, outdated policies backfire

Gaza war raises ethical questions for ex-Obama, Biden officials
Politics

Mercenary firm tied to Gaza war crimes hires Obama-Biden PR operatives

'Israel' targets children in Gaza collecting water
Palestine

'Israel' strikes Gaza kids fetching water, blames it on 'malfunction'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS