Illinois Elected Officials Condemn Violence At U.S. Capitol

By Greg Bishop, The Center Square:

Elected officials in Illinois condemned violence and lawlessness in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday

Hundreds of thousands of people from all across the county converged on the capitol Wednesday for a rally supporting President Donald Trump.

Trump urged people to come to the nation’s capital, saying in a tweet last month it would be “wild.”

The president spoke at a rally earlier in the day.

In the early afternoon, as a joint session of Congress was meeting to deal with the Electoral College votes, and whether there would be objections, protestors stormed entered the capital. Some video showed people getting into physical altercations with guards. One person was shot.

The chaos caught the attention of lawmakers from Illinois.

Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, said the country would remain strong.

“I join with colleagues across the aisle and across the country in condemning the actions we have seen in our nation's capital," he said. "The peaceful transition of power is a hallmark of our great democracy. To disrupt that transition is an affront to the very fabric of the United States of America. The U.S. Capitol has stood strong in the face of attacks by confederates and terrorists. We will survive today's sad acts to once again be a beacon of hope, change and equality for the world.”

U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, said on Twitter that he and his staff members were safe and that he would have more to say "later." "This is a sad day for our country. The lawlessness has got to stop. Protestors must leave the Capitol so Congress can resume the process of confirming the Electoral College vote," he said.

U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, thanked the Capitol Police and others working to quell the rioting.

"I have always fought for the right to peacefully protest, but there is a stark difference between protesting and rioting," he said. "Lawlessness is never an acceptable answer. This must end now."

Illinois House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, said fiery comments from Republicans made the situation worse.

“The events unfolding at the United States Capitol today, and the inflammatory remarks by members of the Republican Party, are a disgrace to the core values and beliefs of our great nation,” he said in a statement. “These actions do not represent our Republican party, and are against everything we stand for as Americans. I am sickened and deeply saddened by what I have witnessed today. Any public officials who condone these actions have no place in the Republican party or in our democracy.”

State Rep. Mike Murphy, R-Springfield, called it "disgraceful."

“The scenes of violence happening at the U.S. Capitol are absolutely shocking and disgraceful,” he said. “The greatness of our democracy is that our nation is one of laws grounded in the strength of our Constitution. Our democratic institutions were built through the brains, blood, sweat, and tears of our founders and those that have carried the American dream forward by holding firm to those institutions and acting through peaceful democratic means. Attacking the institutions of our democracy is not patriotic, it is un-American.”

State Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, said he was horrified by what he saw on the news.

“The scene that I watched on the news this afternoon of the protests in our nation's Capitol is absolutely horrifying,” he said. “It’s un-American and unacceptable. While I firmly believe in our first amendment rights, the violence that was brought into our house of government today is far beyond freedom of speech.”

Illinois Senate designate-Minority Leader Dan McConchie also condemned the violence in Washington D.C.

“The horrible violence at our nation’s Capitol is a disgrace to all Americans,” McConchie said. “This violence does not reflect the United States that generations of Americans have fought so hard to build. I stand with members of all parties in condemning these un-American acts of violence and treachery, and will do my part here in Illinois to repair the devastating divide that has been created in our country.”

State Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, said "there is no excuse for the violence and chaos occurring in Washington D.C. right now."

"Violent protests go against everything that our country stands for," he said. "I pray that this terrible situation comes to a peaceful end as quickly as possible."

Kristina Zahorik, president of the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association, said the violence was an attempted coup d'etat.

"The actions of these riotous gangs are shameful, as is Trump’s silence on ending it. Trump and those attempting to stop the will of the American people must be held accountable," she said in a statement. "These actions, encouraged by Donald Trump, are nothing less than treasonous. This is an attempt at a coup d'etat, plain and simple. Republicans who have supported Donald Trump’s actions leading up today and their silence while our nation’s Capital is under siege are complicit. I look forward to the return of law and order, as well as the Electoral College votes being certified declaring rightfully Joe Biden President.”

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