In an unprecedented turn of events, the US Capitol was on Wednesday breached by thousands of protesters attempting to stop President-elect Joe Biden’s victory over President Donald Trump from being certified by Congress.
Hundreds of Pro-Trump protestors overpowered security on Capitol Hill in Washington DC as the US Senate heard objections to President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
The protest disintegrated into more chaos leading to one female shot by law enforcement and multiple injuries have been recorded on both law enforcement officers and protesters.
President Trump has since deployed officers of the National Guard from Virginia and Washington DC to Capitol Hill to dissolve the ensuing standoff.
While the world watched the US democracy fall apart, several leaders have reacted to the ongoing violence. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson via his official Twitter handle described the events as a “disgrace”, saying the United States stood for democracy around the world and that was it was “vital” now that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power.
According to Reuters, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a statement expressed concern about the violent scenes in Washington. “Obviously we’re concerned and we’re following the situation minute by minute,” Trudeau told the News 1130 Vancouver radio station. “I think the American democratic institutions are strong, and hopefully everything will return to normal shortly.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian also to Twitter, saying “The violence against the American institutions is a grave attack on democracy. I condemn it. The will and the vote of the American people must be respected.”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated that the violent protests was “shocking” and said the outcome of the democratic US election must be respected.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said democracy’s enemies would be cheered by scenes of violence at the United States Capitol, and he called on Trump to accept US voters’ decision.
“Trump and his supporters must accept the decision of American voters at last and stop trampling on democracy,” he tweeted.
Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven also tweeted describing the incidents as “an attack on democracy”. “President Trump and many members of Congress bear significant responsibility for what’s now taking place. The democratic process of electing a president must be respected.”
Similarly, Turkey’s foreign ministry in a statement expressed concern about the violence and called for calm and common sense while urging its citizens to avoid crowds and the protest area.
