EU (Al Jazeera) – Violence in Washington, DC, draws condemnation from some hard-right politicians in Europe, but others remain notably silent.
European far-right leaders, who once threw their unwavering support behind US President Donald Trump, have condemned pro-Trump protesters who stormed the US Capitol on Wednesday as Congress gathered to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s presidential win.
In ugly scenes, hundreds forced their way past metal security barricades, broke windows, and scaled walls to enter the government building in Washington, DC.
The violence, in which at least four people died, saw rioters face off with police in the hallways. At least 52 people were arrested.
Right-wing politicians, including Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, the far-right Dutch opposition leader Geert Wilders, Trump’s longtime British ally Nigel Farage and Italy’s far-right League party leader Matteo Salvini, denounced the protesters’ actions.
Unlike German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, however, they stopped short of pinning some blame on Trump.
Meanwhile, others were notably silent.
At the time of publication, populists such as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic had not commented on the violence, which many viewed as an assault on the symbol of American democracy.
