Newspaper headlines: ‘Anarchy in the USA’ and ‘the clap’s back’

image captionViolent protests at the Capitol building in Washington, where Congress had been meeting to approve the results of the US Presidential election, dominate Thursday’s front pages. “Anarchy in the USA” declares the i newspaper, after thousands of Donald Trump supporters surrounded Congress and breached security barriers. A woman who was shot during the riot has died, according to local police. The i is one of several papers to picture armed police barricading the door to the chamber of the House of Representatives against the protesters.

image captionThe Times reports the protesters stormed the “heart of American democracy”. It says they overran police who drew their guns to defend the House, as Democrats and Republicans “pulled on gas masks and sheltered under desks” and staff “hid in offices”. The paper adds that shots were fired in Capitol grounds and one woman was left with “critical chest injuries after being hit in the neck”. An explosive device was said to have been found, according to the paper.

image captionThe Daily Telegraph says democracy was “under siege” as Trump supporters stormed the building on Wednesday. Some managed to get inside and roam the corridors of Congress, it adds. Earlier that day, Mr Trump addressed a large crowd for more than an hour, urging them to march and repeating his unfounded claims that he had lost the election through voter fraud. The paper also reports that GPs have been told to cease routine care in a bid to ensure the NHS can deliver 14 million Covid jabs by February.

image caption“Chaos as pro-Trump mob storms US Capitol”, declares the Guardian. It reports that several police officers were also injured in the violence. The paper describes the unrest as the “most dramatic challenge to the US democratic system since the civil war”. It also says a group managed to make their way to the atrium of the Senate rotunda, carrying confederate flags.

image captionCoronavirus also makes the lead of some of Thursday’s front pages. The Daily Express focuses on the UK’s vaccination programme, saying “the big push starts today”. GPs will vaccinate patients with the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab from Thursday. The first doses of the newly-approved vaccine will be given to care home residents, it adds.

image captionThe Daily Mail claims the approval of Covid vaccine batches is to be sped up “drastically”. Sources have told the paper that this will be cut from up to 20 days to just four. The Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency, which is responsible for the checks, will also increase staffing to accelerate the programme, the Mail adds.

image captionThe Sun carries a warning to PM Boris Johnson to “stop dithering” over the vaccination programme. MPs and medics have said Mr Johnson must vaccinate around the clock in order to hit three million jabs a week.

image captionThe Daily Mirror is urging its readers to help in the fight against coronavirus. The paper, the Labour Party and Trades Union Congress are asking for 50,000 volunteers to work as stewards at NHS vaccine centres. It comes as Wednesday’s figures showed another 1,041 coronavirus deaths, with more than 62,300 new cases recorded.

image captionMeanwhile, the Daily Star says “the clap’s back” as Clap for Carers returns, under a new name of Clap for Heroes. The weekly applause for front-line NHS staff and other key workers ran for 10 weeks during the UK’s first coronavirus lockdown last spring. It will be back from 20:00 GMT on Thursday.