MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th January, 2021) Violent electoral protests in Washington over the past day made many around the world double-wipe their eyes to make sure the rampage of popular anger was indeed unfolding in the United States, the self-proclaimed beacon of democracy.
Since weekend, people all across the United States were coming to Washington to attend a rally in support of President Donald Trump. In fact, the outgoing leader himself called on them to come and protest what he claims was a stolen election.
A peaceful rally mildly escalated on Tuesday night, leaving ten people detained, including for illegal possession of arms and munitions. But the true escalation unfolded on Wednesday, when US Congress was due to convene to count Electoral College votes and certify Trump's defeat to Joe Biden.
Tens of thousands marched to the Capitol Hill, where lawmakers gathered to conduct the ceremony. Angry Trump loyalists eventually broke the cordon and forced their way in. Clashes with the security ensued, and lawmakers had to pause the tabulation and evacuate. Police used non-lethal force such as tear gas and stun grenades to disperse the crowd. The National Guard was mobilized to support the law enforcement. One woman was shot to death at the Capitol and another three persons died during the unrest in other parts of Washington, the local police said.
Amid the popular protest gone ugly and the uncertainty around the certification of election results, reactions poured in from leaders of states and organizations from all around the world.
UNITED NATIONS AND OTHER INT'L ORGANIZATIONS
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was "saddened" by the events in Washington, his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said.
"In such circumstances, it is important that political leaders impress on their followers the need to refrain from violence, as well as to respect democratic processes and the rule of law," Dujarric said in a statement attributable to Guterres.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg described the protest scenes in Washington as "shocking," calling for respect for the presidential election results.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has expressed concerns, calling on all parties to the US crisis to exercise restraint and respect for the principles of democratic power transition.
"While the US legal system provides for a smooth transition of power, restraint by all those involved in the process remains vital, even in a country with such strong institutions and traditional respect for democratic norms. Neither incitement to violence nor violence itself has any place in the democratic process," the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said in a press release.
ODIHR observed the US election and recalled in the press release that its mission had found no grounds to confirm electoral fraud allegations, voiced by Trump.
OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid, in turn, said she was "disturbed by this assault on democratic institutions and principles," while OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ann Linde called for respecting the outcome of the election in line with democratic principles.
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly condemned the violence and commended US forces which have denounced the protest, "including those in the incumbent President's party."
"The US Congress is a temple of democracy. To witness tonight's scenes in #WashingtonDC is a shock. We trust the US to ensure a peaceful transfer of power to @JoeBiden," European Council President Charles Michel said on Twitter.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also expressed faith in US institutions and democracy, with the peaceful transition of power at its core.
"Joe Biden won the election. I look forward to working with him as the next President of the USA," von der Leyen said on Twitter.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed solidarity with US people and faith in democracy in a video address published on Twitter.
"When in one of the world's oldest democracies supporters of the incumbent president question the legitimate results of an election with weapons in hands, this undermines the universal principle of 'one person - one vote,'" Macron said.
Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian described the events in Washington as a "grave attack against democracy."
"The American people's will and vote must be respected," Le Drian tweeted.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she regretted the fact that Trump had refused to explicitly admit his defeat in the election.
"We all have seen the disturbing picture of the Congress' storming last night, this picture made me angry and sad. I am sure that I feel like the majority of the friends of the US, millions of people who admire the American democratic tradition," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said at a press conference.
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier amounted the storm of the Capitol to the storm of American democracy, pointing out the "fragility of the oldest and most powerful democracy in the world."
"The scenes we saw were the result of lies and more lies, schism and contempt for democracy, hatred and incitement to hatred from the very top," Steinmeier said in a statement.
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in his reactionary statement to US protests referenced "big words turned into violence on the steps of Reichstag," not specifying whether he meant the 1933 unrest initiated by the Nazis to seize the parliament building or more recent events by far-right groups.
"The enemies of democracy will be delighted to see these incredible scenes from Washington," Maas said on Twitter.
The German Foreign Ministry recommended citizens in Washington to avoid the Capitol area and observe the curfew.
"Disgraceful scenes in U.S. Congress. The United States stands for democracy around the world and it is now vital that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power," UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Twitter.
There can be no justification for "violent attempts to frustrate the lawful and proper transition of power," Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said, adding in a more recent tweet that the events in Washington "ends an important message that the democratic will of the US people cannot be challenged or overturned by the actions of a violent minority."
"The UK condemns yesterday's violence unequivocally," Raab added.
Home Office Minister Priti Patel blamed the unrest personally on Trump and his failure to explicitly condemn the violence.
Polish President Andrzej Duda said that the events in Washington were an internal matter of the United States.
"Power depends on the will of the voters, and the security of the state and citizens is supervised by the services appointed for this purpose. Poland believes in the power of US democracy," Duda said on Twitter.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed concerns over the violence in a tweet, but said that he "trust in the strength of America's democracy."
The government of Switzerland were "dismayed" by the protest violence in the US.
"However, we have faith in the strength of American institutions and are confident that a peaceful transition to the new administration can take place according to the laws and Constitution of the United States. American democracy is precious to our country and our citizens, as we share its values," Swiss President Guy Parmelin said in a statement.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda recalled that peaceful transition of power was a sign of mature democracy.
"#RuleofLaw is not the rule of the street. We strongly believe in the supremacy of democratic values in our allied country. #Washington," Nauseda said on Twitter.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said the events in Washington were an internal matter of the United States.
"We once again note that US electoral system is archaic and inconsistent with modern democratic standards due to leaving room for numerous violations, while US media have become a tool of political competition," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing, adding that Russia wishes the "friendly US people" to "overcome this dramatic episode of their own history with dignity."
Violent electoral protests in Washington made it clear that US democracy derailed, ending the time when the United States could dictate policies to other countries by virtue of its impeccability, Konstantin Kosachev, the chairman of the Russian upper house's foreign affairs committee, said.
"The celebration of democracy is over. This is rock bottom, unfortunately, and I say this without a bit of gloating. The United States no longer charts the path and, therefore, has lost all rights to shape it, let alone impose it on others," Kosachev said on Facebook.
The Russian parliament's lower house chief for foreign affairs, Leonid Slutsky, described the unrest as "the boomerang of 'color revolutions' hitting back at the US."
Lower House Speaker Viacheslav Volodin pointed to the "monopoly" of the bipartisan system in US politics, saying that the Electoral College has gone so outdated that it no longer reflects public views.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko called for restrained during a visit to a church in Minsk on the Orthodox Christmas day.
"Who could have thought that the Capitol, this self-branded citadel of world democracy, would be stormed. Nobody. Although there is certain fairness on Trump's side, but it is bad, it is bad when they resort to storming and people die," Lukashenko said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy echoed the criticism.
"We strongly condemn the unprecedented violence against the US Congress. We are inspired by the resilience of this world's oldest & greatest democratic institution that within mere hours of this horrific attack held a historic session that affirmed the will of the American people," Zelenskyy said on Twitter.
"We are certain that US people hope for peace and security, especially amid the coronavirus pandemic. We hope that Americans will be able to obtain peace, stability and security as soon as possible," Chinese Foriegn Ministry spokeswoman said at a briefing.
The diplomat also pointed out that unlike the United States protests, which have resulted in four deaths, the protests in Hong Kong left no person killed. She also pointed to the bias in coverage of these two events by US media, which slammed US protesters "extremists," while labeling protesters in Hong Kong "fighters for democracy."
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the protests in Washington demonstrated how fragile the Western model of democracy was.
"A rogue president who sought vengeance against his OWN people has been doing much worse to our people � and others � in the past four years," Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said on Twitter.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry called on all parties concerned to "maintain restraint and prudence," voicing an expectation in a statement that the US would "overcome this internal political crisis in a mature manner."
The ministry also advised citizens in the US to avoid crowded areas.
"We follow the events in the USA with concern and invite the parties to calmness. We believe that problems will always be solved within law and democracy. As Turkey, we have always been in favor of the law and democracy and we recommend it to everyone," Turkish Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop said on Twitter.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the storm of the Capitol as a "disgraceful act that must be vigorously condemned."
"I have no doubt that American democracy will prevail - it always has," Netanyahu said at a joint press conference with US Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin. "Lawlessness and violence are the opposite of the values we know Americans and Israelis cherish."
"Very distressing scenes at the US Congress. We condemn these acts of violence and look forward to a peaceful transfer of Government to the newly elected administration in the great American democratic tradition," Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Twitter.
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described the course of events in the US as "wrong."
"Democracy - the right of people to exercise a vote, have their voice heard and then have that decision upheld peacefully should never be undone by a mob. Our thoughts are with everyone who is as devastated as we are by the events of today. I have no doubt democracy will prevail," Ardern said on Twitter.
"We condemn the serious acts of violence and attack on Congress that took place in Washington today. We are confident that a peaceful transfer of power will take place with respect for the will of the people, and we express our strong support for President-elect Joe Biden," Argentine President Alberto Fernandez said on Twitter.
Barack Obama accused Trump of inciting the violence, saying that the history will remember the January 6 events as a "a moment of great dishonor and shame for our nation."
"For two months now, a political party and its accompanying media ecosystem has too often been unwilling to tell their followers the truth � that this was not a particularly close election and that President-Elect Biden will be inaugurated on January 20. Their fantasy narrative has spiraled further and further from reality, and it builds upon years of sown resentments. Now we're seeing the consequences, whipped up into a violent crescendo," Obama said in a statement.
George W. Bush said disputing election results via violent protests was more typical for "a banana republic," not the United States. The ex-president did not specify what countries exactly he meant by that.
Jimmy Carter said he was "troubled" by the violence at the Capitol.
"This is a national tragedy and is not who we are as a nation. Having observed elections in troubled democracies worldwide, I know that we the people can united to walk back from this precipice to peacefully uphold the laws of our nation, and we must."
