1.6.21

Contact:
Ryan Berni
ryan@unumfund.org
504-417-1933

(NEW ORLEANS, LA) – E Pluribus Unum Founder & President and former Mayor of New Orleans Mitch Landrieu released the following statement in response to President Donald Trump’s incitement of rioters that stormed the U.S. Capitol building to delay the peaceful transition of power:

“First, my thoughts and concerns are with members of Congress, their staff, our first responders and other innocent bystanders who are in and around the Capitol.

Let’s be clear. Today, we witnessed an attempted coup by domestic terrorists. It should be treated as such. To Donald Trump and his Congressional enablers, democracy has become dispensable if it doesn’t serve their cause. It is an all-out assault on core American democratic principles including the peaceful transition of power. These same irresponsible politicians and the terrorists that breached law enforcement today will wear an American flag on their lapel or trailing behind their car and call themselves patriots. To which we must ask, then what has patriotism really become?

Peaceful protest is an important form of free speech but violence has no place in our democracy. Had this been a Black Lives Matter protest, we would see the full force of law enforcement and the national security apparatus to secure the safety of the U.S. Capitol. When the dust settles from today’s actions, we must think about the contrast that is playing out. It is shameful.”

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