'Where were the forces of law and order last night?" former British ambassador asks
7 January 2021, 15:58
Former British Ambassador to US questions Capitol securtiy
Pro-Trump protesters storming the US Capitol has led a former British Ambassador to question "where were the forces of law and order?"
After a night of violence in Washington DC, LBC spoke with Sir Christopher Meyer a former British Ambassador to the United States from 1997 to 2003.
When LBC's Shelagh Fogarty asked the former Ambassador how he was feeling following the chaos in the US Capitol last night, the answer was blistering.
"Pretty depressed, I thought the scenes last night were shameful and shocking."
Sir Christopher branded the incident "awful," and "tawdry," before adding the protesters looked "shabby and dishevelled."
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"Even at a time of revolution, you expect a bit of elan, but there was none of that. It was just a shambling mob."
This led to the former Ambassador calling into question the actions of the US Capitol Police. Sir Christopher asked, "how they were ever allowed to get into the Capitol."
"This was a colossal, a catastrophic failure of security, for which I think probably a very large number of heads will roll."
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The chaos raged after Mr Trump gave his fans a jolt into action in a rally outside the White House and urged them to march to the Capitol.
Protesters then clashed with police, one woman died after being shot, and three other people died after suffering "medical emergencies", according to police chief Robert Contee.
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As protesters attacked the Capitol, both chambers of Congress were forced into recess as they debated the Electoral College vote that handed Mr Biden the presidency.
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Mr Trump initially tweeted to ask his supporters to "remain peaceful" before posting a video asking protesters to "go home".
But he also used the video to claim that the election was "fraudulent" and that he feels supporters' "pain".
"We love you. You're very special," he added.
