Five Towners and electeds react to Capitol Hill assault

Coup, lies, sedition, terrorists and treason, words usually associated with countries undergoing violent upheaval. On Wednesday, those words painted the United States with the same brushes with one more word – insurrection.

Outside, then inside the Capitol building, many people considered Trump supporters ignited a violent confrontation with the Capitol police that forced the mayor of Washington, D.C. to place a curfew until 6 a.m. on Jan. 7.

One woman, Ashli Babbitt, 35, was shot and died, and three other people died of medical emergencies. A police officer, Brian D. Sicknick, died on Jan. 7 from injuries sustained during the riot. Along with destruction, police recovered pipe bombs both at the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee headquarters and found a vehicle on Capitol grounds with a long gun and Molotov cocktails. Officials report 52 people were arrested.

"The president's failed response to this crisis will go down as one of the darkest days chapters in our nation's history," tweeted Rep. Kathleen Rice, a Democrat, who represents the Five Towns. "And while Trump and his enablers waste their final days trying to overturn a legitimate election, millions of Americans continue to suffer."

Village of Lawrence Deputy Mayor Fragin said debate, not violence, is how this county settles its difference. “Violence in support of a political goal is terrorism, plain and simple,” he said.

"What a disgrace," State Sen. Todd Kaminsky, a Democrat who represents the Five Towns posted on Twitter. "Other countries are supposed to look to us as an example of democracy ... I hope they're not looking today. Also, what happened to law and order?"

Dr. Gila Jedwab, a dentist with practice in Cedarhurst, traveled to Washington to attend what was supposed to be a “Save America” protest opposing the certification of the electoral votes to declare Joe Biden president. She left the rally and returned to the Five Towns before the violence broke out, she said.

Jedwab called the people at the protest who turned violent “patriots” and said, “The truth will all come out in time,” adding, “God will bring a miracle somehow.”