Reporters in Iceland seeking statements from the US embassy or US Ambassador Jeffrey Ross Gunter on yesterday’s Capitol riots have been told that the US State Department has ordered diplomats to refer any such questions to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s tweet about the incident, RÚV reports.
As reported, many noticed that neither the embassy nor the ambassador had yet made any sort of statement about yesterday’s storming of the Capitol building. While this was explainable in part by the US State Department-issued social media lockdown order, social media is not the only venue through which official statements can be given.
As no press statement had been sent from US officials in Iceland through channels outside of Facebook and Twitter, reporters in Iceland contacted the embassy directly for a response.
RÚV reports that when they contacted the embassy for such a statement, they were told that the State Department had ordered the embassy to cite Pompeo’s tweet, and to refer any press inquiries to the State Department’s PR department. As can be seen, Pompeo condemns the riots, but does not lay the blame on anyone for the events of the day.
The storming of the U.S. Capitol today is unacceptable. Lawlessness and rioting — here or around the world — is always unacceptable. I have travelled to many countries and always support the right of every human being to protest peacefully for their beliefs and their causes.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) January 6, 2021
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