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Colorado lawmakers condemn riot at US Capitol, describe fleeing in gas masks

Members of Colorado's congressional delegation reacted to the large mob outside the U.S. Capitol that led to a lockdown.

DENVER — Multiple members of Colorado's congressional delegation took to Twitter to respond to the Electoral College certification and the ensuing riot by supporters of President Donald Trump outside the U.S. Capitol that led to a lockdown. 

Republican Rep. Ken Buck, who issued a statement in opposition to the effort by other members of his party to overturn the 2020 election, tweeted that the riot is "not who we are." 

"I anticipated that there would be violence outside the Capitol but I did not anticipate there being violence inside the Capitol," Buck said on NBC News. "The violence that happened inside the capitol, the people that trespassed and caused damage, should absolutely be prosecuted."

A spokesperson for Buck told 9NEWS' Marshall Zelinger that he heard shots fired but later during his interview on NBC News Buck said he believed the sound was glass breaking and was not gunfire.

"A bunch of us got heavy furniture and began barricading the doors to help the Capitol police," he said. "And then they told us they anticipated the House chamber would be breached so they asked us to evacuate."

He said they put on gas masks that had been stored under their seat as they were escorted out of the Capitol.

"I'm absolutely angry," Buck said. "This isn't the way this country operates. It's a disgrace for anybody to tolerate anybody to come in and try to shut down our government. It's absolutely disgraceful." 

The riots prompted Buck and Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis -- who are typically at odds politically -- to issue a joint statement condemning what occurred. 

Last month, Buck joined a lawsuit in Texas challenging the results of the 2020 election. 

"The alarming scenes that are unfolding in Washington are something you might expect to see in countries far from our shores, not in our nation's Capitol, and certainly not in the hallowed halls of the floors of our Congress," the statement read in part. 

Republican Lauren Boebert, a newly-elected member of the U.S. House of Representatives who represents Colorado's third congressional district, gave an impassioned speech on the House floor disputing President-elect Joe Biden's win in the Nov. 3 general election. 

RELATED: Two Colorado Republicans will object to election results when Congress meets

Later, when protests entered the Capitol building, Boebert said she was on lockdown, and condemned the violence. Nevertheless, she said she would continue support the Republican effort to dispute the electoral college vote. 

Rep. Jason Crow, a Democrat, representing Colorado's sixth Congressional district tweeted that the lockdown was an "outcome of Trump's presidency." 

Later, Crow tweeted an image from inside the Capitol, where photos showed him huddled on the ground with other representatives as protesters stormed the building. 

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold likened what was occurring to a "coup." 

Rep. Ed Perlmutter told 9NEWS' Chris Vanderveen that he was in a safe location and that he expects Biden's electoral college count to move forward at some point. 

A second tweet from Buck likened what was occurring to "anarchy." 

Democrat Sen. Michael Bennet said he and his staff were safe, and that "Today’s attack on the Capitol and our democracy is dangerous and unacceptable." 

Democrat John Hickenlooper, Colorado's former governor and now a Senator, called it a "sad day for our country" and said he too was moved to a safe location amid the violence. 

Wednesday, he tweeted again saying he would support "any option" to remove Trump from office.

Democrat Diana DeGette also said she was safe and in an undisclosed location, and said she was escorted out of the Capitol with gas masks in hand.  

This comes as scores of protesters gathered outside the Colorado Capitol on Wednesday afternoon in an effort to protest Biden's victory and support Trump, who has not conceded the election. 

In ensuing statements, the president asked the protesters to go home but continued to baselessly assert that he had won, despite state elections officials and his own justice department saying otherwise. 

RELATED: WATCH LIVE: Group rallies in Denver in support of Republican objection to Biden’s electoral college win

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