TOKYO (AP) – Tear gas and bullets in the Capitol building. Outrage and condemnation from leaders around the world.
“What’s happening is wrong,” New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a statement on Thursday. “Democracy – people’s right to vote, make their voices heard and then peacefully ratify that decision – should never be undone by a gang.”
The chaotic scenes of the storming of the building at the center of American democracy by angry supporters of President Donald Trump are normally associated with countries where popular uprisings overthrow a hated 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 democratic elections in a country many around the world have seen as a model for democratic governance.
Some viewers from abroad held Trump accountable.
“We must call this for what it is: a deliberate attack on democracy by a sitting president and his supporters, in an attempt to overturn a free and fair election! The world is watching! Irish Secretary of State and Defense Simon Coveney said on Twitter.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was “saddened by the events in the Capitol,” said spokesman Stephane Dujarric. “In such circumstances, it is important that political leaders make their followers aware of the need to refrain from violence and to respect democratic processes and the rule of law.”
Several countries, both allies and antagonists of America, have issued travel warnings to their citizens.
Australians were urged to avoid US protests following what Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison described as “rather disturbing scenes” in the United States.
“The riots and protests we have seen in Washington, DC were terribly poignant. They are very concerning, ”Morrison told reporters shortly after the US Congress resumed proceedings late in Washington on Wednesday.
“This is clearly a difficult time for the United States. They are a good friend of Australia and they are one of the world’s greatest democracies. And so … our thoughts are with them and we hope that the peaceful transition will take place, ”he said.
The Chinese embassy in the United States also warned its citizens about the “serious” situation surrounding the coronavirus pandemic and the “large-scale protest march” in Washington that prompted city authorities to impose a curfew.
Shock and disgust characterized the reactions of many world leaders.
“Shameful scenes in the US Congress,” tweeted Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Great Britain, a staunch US ally for generations. “The United States stands for democracy around the world and it is now vital that there is a peaceful and orderly transfer of power.”
Other friendly countries were similarly appalled at what they described as an attack on American democracy, although some said they thought American democratic institutions would withstand the turmoil.
“Trump and his supporters must finally accept the decision of US voters and stop trampling on democracy,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas wrote on Twitter. “From inflammatory words come violent acts.” He added that “contempt for democratic institutions is disastrous.”
“The beauty of democracy?” with a shrugging emoji, the response was tweeted by Bashir Ahmad, a personal assistant to the President of Nigeria, who has witnessed several coups d’état since independence – including one led decades ago by President Muhammadu Buhari, who recently entered the office via a vote .
Prime Minister of the world’s largest democracy, Narendra Modi of India, said on Twitter: “Sad to see news of riots and violence in Washington DC. The orderly and peaceful transfer of power must continue. The democratic process must not be undermined by illegal protests. “
Chilean President Sebastián Piñera and Colombian President Iván Duque were among those in Latin America 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 US, supporters of fascism showed their real face: anti-democratic and aggressive,” tweeted Luis Roberto Barroso, Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice and head of the country’s electoral court. He said he hoped “American society and institutions will respond vigorously to this threat to democracy.”
Venezuela, which is under US sanctions, said the events in Washington show that the US is “suffering from what it has generated in other countries with its policies of aggression.”
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has survived the US-backed attempts by the opposition to oust him, despite allegations of human rights violations, civil unrest and a humanitarian crisis that has forced millions to flee the oil-rich country.
In Puerto Rico, many people took to social media and joked that the US territory no longer wanted a state. Independence, they said, looked attractive for the first time in decades.
In fact, that pursuit of independence was one of the last times the US Congress was forcibly stormed. Four members of the Nationalist Party of Puerto Rico opened fire on the floor of the House in March 1954, injuring five lawmakers.
President of the European Parliament David Sassoli, who heads one of the world’s greatest lawmakers, also denounced the scenes in the Capitol. The European Union has spent four grumpy years with the Trump administration, and its top officials have repeatedly said they look forward to a better relationship under President-elect Joe Biden.
‘This is an uprising. Nothing less. In Washington, ”tweeted Carl Bildt, a former Prime Minister of Sweden.
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AP journalists from around the world contributed to this story.