U. S. Capitol violence stuns world

WASHINGTON • World leaders on Wednesday expressed shock at the violent rioters who overran the U. S. Congress and attempts to overturn the Nov. 3 presidential election results which dealt a victory to Democratic challenger Joe Biden.

Police in the U. S. Capitol responded with drawn guns and tear gas as hundreds of rioters stormed in and sought to force Congress to undo President Donald Trump’s election loss shortly after some of Trump’s fellow Republicans launched a lastditch effort to throw out the results. Here are reactions from around the world:

Canada

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed concern about the violent scenes. “Obviously we’re concerned and we’re following the situation minute by minute,” Trudeau said. “I think the American democratic institutions are strong, and hopefully everything will return to normal shortly.”

UNITED KINGDOM

Prime Minis ter Boris Johnson in a tweet described the scenes in the U. S. Congress a “disgrace,” saying the United States stood for democracy around the world and that was it was “vital” now that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power. Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister of Scotland, called scene from the Capitol “utterly horrifying” and called for “solidarity with those ... on the side of democracy and the peaceful and constitutional transfer of power.”

GERMANY

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said democracy’s enemies would be cheered by scenes of violence at the U. S. Capitol, and he called on Trump to accept U. S. voters’ decision. In a Tweet posted after protesters stormed the U. S. legislature, Maas said the violence had been caused by inflammatory rhetoric. “Trump and his supporters must accept the decision of American voters at last and stop trampling on democracy.”

RUSSIA

“Quite Maidan- style pictures are coming from D.C.,” Russia’s deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy posted on Twitter, referring to protests in Ukraine that toppled Russian- backed president Viktor Yanukovich in 2014. “Some of my friends ask whether someone will distribute crackers to the protesters to echo Victoria Nuland stunt,” he said, citing a 2013 visit to Ukraine when then-u. S. assistant secretary of state Victoria Nuland offered food to protesters.

NATO

NATO Secretary- General Jens Stoltenberg called the violent protests in Washington “shocking scenes” and said the outcome of the democratic U. S. election must be respected.

SPAIN

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a tweet: “I am following with concern the news that are coming from Capitol Hill in Washington. I trust in the strength of America’s democracy.”