Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is “concerned” by the ongoing violence in Washington, following the news that supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump have violently stormed the Capitol.
“Obviously we’re concerned and we’re following the situation minute by minute as it unfolds. There is an important electoral process unfolding in the United States, and we all want it and need it to unfold properly and peacefully. We certainly hope things will calm down but we’re going to keep watching carefully,” read a quote from Trudeau, emailed to Global News from his office.
“The American democratic institutions are strong and hopefully everything will return to normal shortly. We’re going to continue to do what we need to do to make sure Canadians are well served in our relationship with the United States regardless of how things unfold.”
Trudeau’s comments come as the protesters violently disrupted the certification of Joe Biden’s presidential election win on Wednesday, smashing windows and even firing gunshots that have so far left one person injured.
Politicians and reporters have evacuated or fled to safer parts of the building, and the mayor has imposed a 6 p.m. ET curfew for the entire D.C. area.
As the violence raged on, Trump published a video on Twitter in which he told protesters to “go home” while he decried what he baselessly referred to as a “fraudulent election.”
“I know you’re hurt. We had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election. And everyone knows it, especially the other side, but you have to go home now. We have to have peace,” Trump said in the video.
“So go home. We love you. You’re very special. You’ve seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel, but go home and go home in peace.”
But with the tensions showing no signs of dissipating, Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne echoed the prime minister, stating that the government is watching the situation closely.
“Canada is deeply shocked by the situation in Washington DC. The peaceful transition of power is fundamental to democracy – it must continue and it will,” he wrote on Twitter.
“We are following developments closely and our thoughts are with the American people.”
The Liberals weren’t the only party that took to Twitter to condemn the violence. Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole weighed in, calling the protest an “astonishing assault on freedom and democracy.”
“I am deeply saddened to see chaos grip our greatest ally today,” he wrote.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called the situation “frightening” and put the blame squarely at Trump’s feet.
“The horror unfolding in Washington is frightening and it was incited by Donald Trump. He can end it now, but refuses to,” Singh wrote in a tweet issued as Trump told protesters to go home.
“Democracy must not be intimidated. The violence must end,” Singh said.
Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet also didn’t mince his words when it comes to the outgoing U.S. president.
Tweeting in French, Blanchet wrote that this “degrading” situation would “certainly allow the benevolent majority of Americans to see that this man and this ideology have not served them.”
Meanwhile, as the anger continues to boil over, Canada’s Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman urged any Canadians in the area to follow advice from the local authorities.
“We are following the developments on Capitol Hill very closely. All Embassy staff are safe and accounted for,” she wrote on Twitter.
“We call for calm during this time. Canadians in DC should follow the advice of local authorities.”
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