United States elected President Joe Biden today said the violent protests on Capitol Hill were “an unprecedented attack on democracy” in the country and urged Donald Trump to end the violence.
In a nationwide statement, Joe Biden addressed the demonstrations taking place this afternoon on Capitol Hill in Washington city, where members of Congress were meeting to formalize the Democratic president’s victory in the November election.
“It is an attack on what is most sacred to Americans,” he said.
In the speech, Joe Biden demanded that still President Donald Trump immediately make a televised speech calling on his supporters to end the acts of violence.
“To be American is to have honor and tolerance”, he said.
The US presidential election vote ratification session had to be halted due to unrest caused by pro-Trump protesters on Capitol Hill.
In response to the protests and in response to a request from Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, Virginia Governor Democrat Ralph Northam announced the dispatch of members of the state’s National Guard unit, as well as of 200 police officers from his country administrative unit.
Northam also took to social media Twitter to announce that he was “working closely” with Bowser, House of Commons Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schumer to “respond to the situation” in the US capital.
Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Washington today, protesting and contesting Democrat Joe Biden’s victory.
At a rally outside the White House, Trump called on protesters to come to Capitol Hill and make their voices heard, protesting what he sees as “electoral fraud”, even claiming that he “would never” accept his defeat in the elections.
Trump has since again called on protesters who have invaded Capitol Hill today to remain peaceful, half an hour after another message to the same effect, but without calling for an end to the protests.
“I ask everyone on the United States Capitol to stay peaceful. No violence! Remember, WE are the Law and Order Party – respect the law and our fantastic men and women in blue”, Trump wrote on social media Twitter, referring to the security forces officers.
Just over half an hour earlier, Trump had made a similar appeal on the same social network: “Please support our Capitol Police and our security forces. They are really on the side of our country. Stay in peace!”.
A few minutes later, security guards began to evacuate the Capitol offices, for security reasons, then advised to suspend work in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The work of discussion on the counting of the votes has therefore been suspended for the moment, while the television channels broadcast images of disturbances in the stairs of the Capitol.
Several lawmakers, including Republicans, are using their Twitter accounts to criticize the actions of protesters, saying they will not be intimidated by their presence or their calls to reject the Electoral College vote count.