The American Bar Association, which describes itself as the largest voluntary association of lawyers in the world, was among the first institutions to speak out against yesterday’s events in Washington DC. 

In a statement issued as Trump supporters broke in to the US Capitol during the process to certify the Electoral College victory of President-elect Joe Biden, the ABA said it condemned 'in the strongest terms’ the assault. ’Storming the Capitol and disrupting the procedure of certification is not a peaceful protest,’ the statement said. ’It is criminal conduct.'

The ABA called on the White House to condemn the violence immediately, adding: 'President Trump has a duty to restore and protect the rule of law.’

The statement declared the 2020 presidential election fairly conducted. ’The system worked. Claims of impropriety were thoroughly and openly investigated. Dozens of lawsuits challenging the election results were carefully considered by courts, including the US Supreme Court. No evidence of any significant fraud was found.

'The peaceful transition of power from one elected president to the next is a revered American tradition going back more than two centuries and serves as a model to the rest of the world. All elected officials and others in positions of civic responsibility must now uphold their oath to defend the Constitution, support a peaceful transition of power, and thereby protect the rule of law.'