Greek leaders condemn Capitol Hill violence

Greek leaders on Thursday condemned the tragic violence displayed by US protestors as they marched onto Capitol Hill to disrupt a Congress meeting.

The rioters had breached the doors of the historic building on the day where US election results were to be certified by Congress. Four people died on the Capitol grounds and 52 people were arrested by the evening.

Greek leaders denounced the display of violence by US citizens, with Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou marking it as a “dark moment in American history”.

“Respect for the rules is the essence of democracy. Yesterday’s violence is a dark moment in American history and those who instigated it bear great responsibility,” she said in a tweet.

“The duty of all should be the smooth transition to Joe Biden’s presidency. Leaders are the first to set an example,” she added.

Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he was “extremely troubled” by the violence taking place in Washington D.C.

“American democracy is resilient, deeply rooted and will overcome this crisis,” he said in a tweet.

SYRIZA’s Alexis Tsipras referred to “extreme right-wing violence that proves how important it is to protect democracy.”

The US Congress on Thursday also formally validated Joe Biden’s presidential election victory, with Vice-President Mike Pence declaring the final vote totals.

“This shall be deemed a sufficient declaration of the persons elected president and vice-president of the United States,” Mike Pence said.