United Nations: Top United Nations leadership expressed sadness and concern over the violence in Washington DC by pro-Trump demonstrators who stormed the US Capitol as lawmakers gathered to certify the presidential election results.

“The Secretary-General is saddened by the events at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C,” on Wednesday, Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, said in a note to correspondents.

“In such circumstances, it is important that political leaders impress on their followers the need to refrain from violence, as well as to respect democratic processes and the rule of law, the UN chief said.

President of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Volkan Bozkir, tweeted that as president of the 193-member UN body, I’m saddened & concerned by today’s developments at the Capitol in #WashingtonDC. The US is one of the world’s major democracies. I believe that peace & respect for democratic processes will prevail in our host country at this critical time.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), an international organisation that promotes world-wide parliamentary dialogue and representative democracy, also denounced the violence.

The IPU and the parliamentary community strongly condemn the violence and the assault on the US Capitol by protestors, it said in a statement.

The integrity of this bastion of democracy and of the representatives of the people of the United States must be respected, IPU said.

IPU President Duarte Pacheco said, “I thoroughly condemn this attempt to violate the constitutional and democratic order of the USA.”

In an unprecedented attack on the seat of American democracy, pro-Trump demonstrators stormed the US Capitol when lawmakers were counting Electoral College votes to certify President-elect Joe Biden and Vice-President elect Kamala Harris’ election victory.

Press Trust of India