Skip to main content

'No place for political violence': World leaders react to White House correspondents' dinner shooting

The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner late on Saturday took an unexpected turn when a man opened fire in the hotel hosting the dinner, prompting the Secret Service to rush United States President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania out of the event.

The man, who was armed with a shotgun, fired at a Secret Service agent, according to officials, bringing an end to the glitzy media gala as guests rushed to take cover.

The suspected shooter has been identified by multiple US news outlets as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, who Trump claimed was acting as a “lone wolf” while addressing a press conference after the incident.

Here is how global leaders have reacted to the shooting.

Pakistan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a post on X, condemned the incident, saying that he was “deeply shocked” by it.

“Deeply shocked by the disturbing shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, DC, a short while ago,” the premier said.

He expressed relief that the US president, the first lady and other attendees were safe.

“My thoughts and prayers are with him, and I wish him continued safety and well-being,” he added.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar condemned the incident as well.

Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned the incident and stressed that “political violence has no place in any democracy”.

“I am relieved that the President, the First Lady, and all guests are safe following reports of gunfire at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington tonight,” Carney said.

United Kingdom

Britain’s Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, in a statement on X, said he was “shocked by the scenes at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington overnight.”

“Any attack on democratic institutions or on the freedom of the press must be condemned in the strongest possible terms,” Starmer wrote.

Israel

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, condemning the shooting, said he and his wife Sara “were shocked by the attempted assassination” of Trump.

“We are relieved that the President and the First Lady are safe and strong,” Netanyahu wrote on X.

“We send our wishes for a full and speedy recovery to the wounded police officer and salute the US Secret Service for their swift and decisive action.”

Mexico

The Mexican President, Claudia Sheinbaum, wrote on X that “it is good that President Trump and his wife are safe following the recent events.

“We send them our respect. Violence must never be the way,” Sheinbaum added.

Spain

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez condemned what he called “the attack that took place tonight against president (Trump).”

“Violence is never the answer. Humanity will only move forward through democracy, coexistence, and peace,” Sanchez wrote on X.

European Union

Vice President of the European Commission Kala Kallas also reiterated that “political violence has no place in a democracy”.

She held that “an event meant to honour a free press should never become a scene of fear”.

Australia

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed relief that attendees remained safe.

In a post on X, Albanese said, “I am pleased to hear the President and the First Lady, along with all attendees at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, are safe”.

He also lauded the role of the Secret Service and law enforcement agencies in taking “swift action”.

India

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “relieved to learn that President Trump, the First Lady and Vice President are safe and unharmed”.

“I extend my best wishes for their continued safety and well-being. Violence has no place in a democracy and must be unequivocally condemned,” Modi wrote on X.

Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi also took to X to condemn the incident.

“I am relieved to learn that President Trump is safe after the terrifying gunshots,” she wrote. She further maintained that “violence can never be tolerated anywhere in the world”.

South Korea

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung expressed shock at the incident, emphasising that political violence was a “grave threat to the very foundation of democracy”.

“I am relieved to hear that President Donald Trump and the First Lady, as well as all those present, are safe. I extend my deepest condolences to the American people,” Jae-myung wrote on X.

“Political violence is a grave threat that undermines the very foundation of democracy and can never be justified under any circumstances,” he added.



from Dawn - Home https://ift.tt/hDdsR8Q
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ailing Pope Francis to embark on Asia trip, his longest ever, in September

Pope Francis will travel to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore from September 2-13, the Vatican said on Friday, announcing his first overseas trip of the year and the longest of his 11-year papacy. The Asia trip has been on the papal agenda for some time, but there had been doubts on whether the 87-year-old pontiff would embark on it given his increasing frailty, with a record of skipping engagements due to health problems. His last international journey was a two-day stay in Marseille, France in September. In November, he pulled out of a trip to the COP28 climate conference in Dubai because of a lung inflammation . Francis is now scheduled to be in Jakarta between Sept 3-6, Port Moresby and Vanimo between Sept 6-9, Dili September. 9-11 and Singapore Sept 11-13, his spokesman said in a statement. Vietnam, which had been suggested by the pope and Vatican officials as a possible further destination during the nearly two-week long Asia trip, was not mentioned. In ...
Post a Comment
Read more

‘A war out there’: Maple Leafs survive shootout thriller in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — Whew. They needed this one, even if they didn’t wholly deserve it. For a Monday night in Salt Lake City, the stakes felt unusually high for the sagging, road-weary Toronto Maple Leafs .  Heading into their inaugural game at Delta Center, the Leafs had dropped three straight, blown a couple leads, slipped out of first place, and  distracted  the fan base by propositioning their best player with a trade.  Worse: Their process hasn’t been tight for a couple weeks. Mistakes have crept in. Speed is giving their defence issues. And their razor-sharp goaltenders have begun to look human. Head coach Craig Berube held an intense team meeting Sunday, following Saturday’s 7-4 outclassing in Denver. Multiple players spoke up. Captain Auston Matthews said they’d reached look-in-the-mirror time. “The really bad games have a good way of being the biggest learning experiences,” thoughtful goaltender Joseph Woll said, following Monday’s slump-snuffing, nail-b...
Post a Comment
Read more

A diary of (near) default - 2023 was a year of economic uncertainty in Pakistan

Despite having little in common, even our political parties could agree on one thing: Pakistan’s economic situation was dire in 2023. The year saw Pakistan go through a long and rocky road to finding some semblance of economic stability — if it can even be called that — while weathering political and social turmoil. Pakistanis also experienced a double whammy this year: the one-two punches of the worst economic crisis in decades and all-time high inflation. Add to that the gut punch of the aftermath of the catastrophic floods of 2022 began to settle in. Flood victims receive boiled rice from relief workers, after taking refuge on a motorway, following rains and floods during the monsoon season in Charsadda, Pakistan on August 27, 2022 — Reuters In 2023, according to the World Bank , over 39.4 per cent of the population fell below the poverty line, which means over 12.5 million people are living in meagre conditions. Additionally, 8.5 million people face acute food insecurity due ...
Post a Comment
Read more