LYNN — Mayor Thomas M. McGee issued a statement Thursday condemning the violence committed by President Donald Trump’s supporters at the U.S. Capitol Wednesday, calling the riots an act of “domestic terrorism.”
A woman was fatally shot by police and three other people died of medical emergencies during Wednesday’s violent protest against Trump’s election loss.
The deadly protest culminated with pro-Trump rioters storming the Capitol Building when Congress was scheduled to begin the process of certifying the election results for President-elect Joe Biden.
“(Wednesday’s) attack was a horrific display of disrespect for one of our country’s most symbolic institutions, the United States Capitol,” said McGee. “A key principle of our democracy has been the peaceful transfer of power from one president to the next.
“This long-standing tradition began in 1801 when John Adams stepped down from his position as president and returned to Massachusetts after losing the election to Thomas Jefferson.”
McGee said he strongly condemns the “domestic terrorism and actions to undermine and prevent the constitutionally-authorized responsibility of the newly-elected Congress to certify the electoral votes for both the president-elect and vice president-elect.
“This act of hatred we witnessed yesterday is a direct result of repeated demonizing lies from the president and his administration. It is imperative the transition of power be peaceful to ensure our republic (maintains) its image as a model of democracy around the world.”
McGee said Jan. 6, 2021 will go down as one of the “darkest days” in American history, not only for the assault on the Capitol, but for another record-setting day, in terms of COVID-19 cases and deaths across the country, which he attributed to the “inaction and ineptitude” of the current presidential administration.
The American public has been “funneled misinformation” regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, McGee said, adding that the administration’s mismanagement of the virus has continued with a “disastrous vaccine rollout” that has “fallen far behind” schedule, in terms of expeditiously vaccinating the American public.
“I call on our leaders in Washington to unify in our continued fight against this unrelenting, deadly virus,” said McGee. “We, as Americans, have always shown the courage to join as one nation whenever presented with any obstacles.
“Today, we need to come together and understand the common bonds we share, and realize that through cooperation, no challenge is too great for us to overcome. We can, and must, do better as a country. This kind of hatred has no home in our great country, and certainly has no home in the city of Lynn,” he said.
