Trump supporters stormed the Capitol as lawmakers in the House and Senate began discussing the certification of the 2020 presidential election results. A number of Republicans in both chambers planned to challenge the outcomes in certain states.
“There’s an important election process unfolding in the United States, and I think we all want it and need to unfold it properly and peacefully,” Trudeau said. “We definitely hope things calm down.”
The prime minister said Canada would monitor closely. “I think the American democratic institutions are strong and hopefully everything will be normal again soon,” he said when asked if he was confident that President-elect Joe Biden would pass peacefully to power. “But we continue to do what we have to do to make sure Canadians are well served in our relationship with the United States, no matter how things unfold.”
The Capitol complex closed for hours when pro-Trump rioters passed Capitol police and into a building normally protected by low security.
The Canadian ambassador to the US, Kirsten Hillman, said the embassy was keeping a close eye on the situation and that all staff members were safe. She tweeted an updated travel advice to the US containing a warning about ‘demonstrations in Washington, DC’
The scenes, which included the security cannons in the living room, also provoked concern and condemnation from the leaders of Britain and NATO.
Foreign Minister François-Philippe Champagne said Canada was “deeply shocked” by the events. “The peaceful transition of power is fundamental to democracy – it must continue, and it will,” he said. said on Twitter. “We are following developments closely and we are thinking of the American people.”
Conservative leader Erin O’Toole called the Capitol siege “an astonishing attack on freedom and democracy”.
“I am deeply saddened to see chaos seize our greatest ally today,” he said. said on Twitter.
NOP leader Jagmeet Singh Trump blamed directly for the violence. Yves-François Blanchet, head of the Québécois bloc said in French that the welcoming majority of Americans will soon see that they are not being served by Trump and his ideology.