{"id":91749,"date":"2021-01-07T08:08:18","date_gmt":"2021-01-07T13:08:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/PERSIAN-HERITAGE.COM\/?p=91749"},"modified":"2021-01-07T08:08:57","modified_gmt":"2021-01-07T13:08:57","slug":"auto-draft-416","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/PERSIAN-HERITAGE.COM\/en\/2021\/01\/07\/auto-draft-416\/","title":{"rendered":"US Capitol riots: World leaders react to ‘horrifying’ scenes in Washington"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"BBC \u2014 World leaders have condemned violent scenes in Washington after supporters of US President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building on Wednesday.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The riot forced the suspension of a joint session of Congress to certify Joe Biden’s electoral victory.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Many leaders called for peace and an orderly transition of power, describing what happened as “horrifying” and an “attack on democracy”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned the “disgraceful scenes”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“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,” he wrote on Twitter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Other UK politicians joined him in criticising the violence,<\/a> with opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer calling it a “direct attack on democracy”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Home Secretary Priti Patel told the BBC that Mr Trump’s comments “directly led” to his supporters storming Congress and clashing with police. <\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted that the scenes from the US Capitol were “utterly horrifying”.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel said those who stormed the US legislature were “attackers and rioters” and that she felt “angry and also sad” after seeing pictures from the scene.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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She told a meeting of German conservatives: “I regret very much that President Trump has still not admitted defeat, but has kept raising doubts about the elections.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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China meanwhile attempted to draw comparisons between the rioters who entered Congress to try and subvert the US election result and pro-democracy protesters who stormed Hong Kong’s Legislative Council last year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying claimed events in Hong Kong were more “severe” than those in Washington but “not one demonstrator died”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The comparisons between the two incidents has caused outrage among Hong Kong’s pro-democracy activists and their supporters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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