The ECR Party condemns the attack on the US Capitol Building in the strongest terms. The assault on the American legislature by protestors is an attack on the very democracy and values for which that building stands.

The American Republic has for generations been a source of inspiration and comfort to those who value freedom around the world. It is unique amongst other democracies in the world in that its congress has been working for longer than most nations have had open elections.

For over two centuries millions of people have looked to America as a beacon of freedom and democracy. Generations of people have migrated there in search of a better life, and in pursuit of freedom. The strength of that American freedom comes from the stability of its institutions, chiefly amongst them the peaceful transfer of power.

Those people who attacked the Capitol are not patriots, but criminals. Patriots are supposed to support law enforcement, not attack them. They’re supposed to protect cultural heritage, not destroy it. And they’re supposed to defend democracy, not undermine it.

As President Ronald Reagan said in his first inauguration:

“The orderly transfer of authority as called for in the Constitution routinely takes place, as it has for almost two centuries, and few of us stop to think how unique we really are. In the eyes of many in the world, this every-four-year ceremony we accept as normal is nothing less than a miracle.”

We call for the peaceful transfer of power to go ahead in the United States, and for calm amongst the protestors. The world needs a more united America now more than ever.