PHOTO: Joe Mason, ALJA President (Above, scene of the riot (Below)
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA-The Association of Liberian Journalist in the Americas (ALJA) is condemning in the strongest term, the recent violent attack on the US Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump.
The riot, which most Americans have dubbed as an insurrection and a failed attempt by President Trump and his supporters to overturn the November 3, 2020 Presidential election was held January 6, 2021 at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. The rioters stormed the Capitol building while members of Congress including the House of Representatives and the Senate were in session to certify the election of President Elect Joe Biden and Vice President Elect Kamala Harris.
In a Press Release issued on Friday, January 8, 2021, ALJA termed the incident as a disgraceful and embarrassing spectacle in the political history of the United States.
The Association says the January 6th insurrection has stained the Presidency of Mr. Trump, and shattered America’s global image in terms of good governance, rule of law, and democracy. ALJA maintains, “This incident has a serious repercussion on how people around the world would now perceive the US role as a symbol of democratic values and norms.”
The Association says Mr. Trump and his supporters’ persistent refusal to not only accept the results of the elections after losing numerous court challenges, but continue to claim that widespread fraud was committed, ultimately gave rise to the January 6th mob action.
ALJA says while President Trump and his supporters have the constitutional right to contest the results of the elections in which former Vice President Joe Biden and California Senator Kamala Harris were elected as President and Vice President respectively, their attack on the US Capitol undermines the rule of law, which is the foundation of America’s democracy.
The organization says the United States’ much acclaimed status as the world’s oldest and most vibrant democracy has been compromised by the attack on the Capitol.
Meanwhile, ALJA is urging the incoming US administration to work towards restoring the country’s battered image and reclaim its moral high ground as the advocate of democracy, good governance, and free speech around the world.
At the same time, the Association, whose members are all people of color, has expressed outrage over the hypocrisy displayed by law enforcement agencies against the largely white pro Trump insurrectionists during the mob action.
ALJA says the law enforcement agencies were not exertive in containing the predominantly Caucasian rioters as they breached the Capitol building, the country’s symbol of democracy while a joint session of congress was taking place. The US based Liberian journalists say the law enforcement agencies also, allowed most of the rioters to walk away untouched after they stormed and overran the Capitol.
ALJA described the Police’s reaction or lack thereof as a classic display of white privilege where white insurrectionists are treated differently as opposed to the largely peaceful Black Lives Matter protest in Washington DC over the death of George Floyd in June of last year that was greeted with heavy police presence.
The Association called on the US government to ensure that the perpetrators of the Capitol attack are arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
ALJA is a conglomeration of current and retired Liberian journalists residing in the Americas. It is a 501c (3) non-profit organization. The Association was founded in 1998 with the objectives of fostering companionship amongst its members and their American counterparts. Additionally, the Association is committed to advancing press freedom through media capacity building and the fostering of good governance in Liberia through media advocacy