The Erie County Bar Association condemns the conduct of those who stormed the United States Capitol yesterday afternoon. The right to assemble and peacefully protest is one of the bedrocks of our American democracy, but what occurred at the Capitol was neither civil nor peaceful.
Although we may not always agree with one another or like the results of an election, we cannot let our disagreements manifest themselves in violence. Such violence is antithetical to our democracy, in which it is the province of the courts to resolve disputes. Violence in response to the result of an election undermines our democratic institutions, including our judiciary, and must be condemned. Ideas and policies are developed through civil discourse, and not through violent acts that put people in harm’s way.
