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Tear gas and bullets in the United States Capitol building. Outrage, confusion and condemnation of leaders around the world.
“What is happening is wrong,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a statement. “Democracy, the right of the people to exercise a vote, to have their voice heard and then for that decision to be maintained peacefully, should never be overridden by a mob.”
The chaotic scenes of the storming of the building at the center of American democracy by angry supporters of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, are typically associated with countries where popular uprisings topple a dictator. The Arab Spring, for example, or the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia.
But this time it was an attempt by American citizens to stop a peaceful transition to power after a democratic election in a country that many around the world have considered a model of democratic governance.
Jessica Taylor / AP
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called the scenes of the US Congress “shameful”.
READ MORE:
* Live: Washington DC Police Chief Says Rioters Used ‘Chemical Irritants On Police’ to Gain Access to the US Capitol.
* Photos: Trump supporters storm the U.S. Capitol in protest of election results
* Donald Trump calls on protesters to ‘keep your peace’, as pressure mounts for him to call off the protest.
* Joe Biden asks the president of the United States, Donald Trump, to ‘step up’ his speech to the nation
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres “is saddened by the events at the United States Capitol,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. “In such circumstances, it is important that political leaders instill in their followers the need to refrain from violence, as well as to respect democratic processes and the rule of law.”
Several countries, both allies and antagonists of America, issued travel warnings to their citizens.
Australia warned its citizens to avoid protests after what Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison described as “quite disturbing scenes” in the United States.
John Minchillo / AP
Trump supporters attempt to break through a police barrier at the United States Capitol in Washington on January 6.
“The riots and protests that we have seen in Washington, DC, have been terribly distressing. They are very concerning, ” Morrison told reporters shortly after the US Congress resumed proceedings on Wednesday night Washington time.
“This is a difficult time for the United States, clearly. They are a great friend of Australia and are one of the largest democracies in the world. And so … our thoughts are with them, and we look forward to the peaceful transition, ” he said.
The Chinese Embassy in the United States also warned its citizens about the “grave” situation surrounding the coronavirus pandemic and the “large-scale protest march” in Washington that prompted the city government to impose a curfew. .
“The Chinese Embassy to the US Reminds Chinese Citizens in the US to closely monitor their local viruses and security situations, increase their vigilance, be aware of their personal safety, and consider deeply before visiting spaces. public, “the Embassy said in a notice on its website.
Leaders from around the world condemned the assault on the United States Capitol.
“Shameful scenes in the United States Congress,” tweeted British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a staunch ally of the United States for generations. “The United States defends democracy around the world and it is now vital that there be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power.”
Other allies were equally dismayed by what they described as an attack on American democracy, although some said they believed that American democratic institutions would resist the upheaval. Some leaders singled out Trump for harsh criticism.
“Trump and his supporters should finally accept the decision of the American voters and stop trampling on democracy,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas wrote on Twitter. “From incendiary words come violent deeds.” He added that “contempt for democratic institutions has disastrous effects.”
“The beauty of democracy?” With a shrugged emoji was the reaction tweeted by Bashir Ahmad, personal assistant to the President of Nigeria, who has witnessed several coups since independence, including one led decades ago by President Muhammadu Buhari, who most recently entered the the office through a vote.
Chilean President Sebastián Piñera and Colombian President Iván Duque were among Latin Americans who denounced the protesters, but both also said they were confident that American democracy and the rule of law would prevail.
“In this sad episode in the United States, the supporters of fascism showed their true face: undemocratic and aggressive,” tweeted Luis Roberto Barroso, judge of the Supreme Court of Brazil and president of the country’s electoral court. He said he expected “American society and institutions to react vigorously to this threat to democracy.”
Venezuela, which is subject to US sanctions, said that the events in Washington show that the United States “is suffering what it has generated in other countries with its policy of aggression.”
ROSA WOODS / THINGS / Things
“What is happening is wrong,” New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a statement about the chaos taking place in the US Capitol building. (File photo)
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has survived US-backed opposition efforts to topple him despite allegations of human rights abuses, civil unrest and a humanitarian crisis that has forced millions of people to flee the country. rich in oil.
In Puerto Rico, many people took to social media and joked that the US territory no longer wanted statehood. Independence, they said, looked attractive for the first time in decades.
In fact, that quest for independence marked one of the last times the United States Congress was violently assaulted. Four members of the Puerto Rico Nationalist Party opened fire on the floor of the House in March 1954, wounding five legislators.
Italians looked at the events in amazement, having always considered the United States as the model of democracy and the country that rescued Italy after its fascist descent during World War II.
“This is the widely expected outcome of Trumpism,” tweeted a retired Italian center-left politician, Pierluigi Castagnetti. And sadly it won’t end today. When politics is replaced by deception and fanaticism of the people, drift is inevitable. ”
The president of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, who heads one of the largest legislatures in the world, also denounced the scenes on Capitol Hill. The European Union has spent four curmudgeonly years dealing with the Trump administration, and its top officials have repeatedly said they hope for a better relationship under President-elect Joe Biden.
“This is an insurrection. Nothing less. In Washington, ” Carl Bildt, former Prime Minister of Sweden, tweeted.
Turkey, a NATO ally that has at times disagreed with Washington, expressed concern about images of angry Trump supporters trying to thwart Biden’s certification as the new president.
A statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry urged all parties in the United States to use “restraint and common sense.”
“We believe that the United States will overcome this internal political crisis with maturity,” the ministry said.
The ministry statement also urged Turkish citizens in the United States to stay away from crowds and demonstrations.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country was “deeply disturbed” by events in the United States, Canada’s closest ally and neighbor.
“Violence will never be able to dominate the will of the people. Democracy must be defended in America, and it will be, ” Trudeau tweeted.
