'We need to be uniters,' Pittsburgh council says in addressing Capitol insurrection

Three of the nine Pittsburgh City Council members Tuesday addressed last week’s insurrection at the Capitol and the potential for more violence leading up to and during President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20.

Public Safety leaders have said they are prepared for more unrest, should there be protests or demonstrations in Pittsburgh.

NEW: Statement on possible protests:

"Public Safety is preparing with our law enforcement partners at the local, state and federal levels for any and all events in the city," Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich said.

Full statement here: https://t.co/Glb98L4PI1 pic.twitter.com/PmLvHb4SCx

— Pgh Public Safety (@PghPublicSafety) January 9, 2021

“I don’t know that I have ever been more shaken in my entire adult life,” said Councilman Bruce Kraus, who represents South Side neighborhoods.

He called it a “challenging, difficult, unprecedented” time and urged calm.

“Respect this nation and who and what we stand for,” Kraus said. “We know that there are clearly risks involved in the next 7 to 10 days and maybe beyond. I just want to send the best to leadership that will guide us through.”

Councilman Ricky Burgess of North Point Breeze, who represents many of the city’s Black neighborhoods, called the riots “the beginning of the end” of white supremacy in America.

“What we’re really seeing is what happens when white racism is confronted and loses,” Burgess said.

“The majority of white people in this country voted for Donald Trump,” Burgess said, repeating it three time for emphasis.

Burgess also noted the difference in the police response to rioters who stormed the Capitol last week and the response at Black Lives Matter protests last year.

“This is the last gasp of white supremacy in our country,” Burgess said.

Joe Biden’s victory, along with wins by Democrats in Georgia Senate races that give Democrats control of Congress, show that the country is no longer controlled by the white establishment.

“I believe this needed to happen for us to be able to see where we are as a nation,” Burgess said. “We need to be honest about where we’re at. This is America, this is who we are.”

Although it isn’t talked about publicly, racism has always been a part of America, Burgess said, and now the “racist scab has been pulled off.”

Burgess called racism a “secret, ugly stain that has been with our country since its inception. … Now we begin the hard work of exorcising it.”

Pittsburgh’s leadership is progressive, but more work needs to be done, he said.

“Now we have to go one step further. We have to continue to make sure there is racial equity in every decision we make,” Burgess said. “It’s more than our country healing. Our country and our city must be helping. We can’t look at this and say ‘This is someone else.’ ”

Council President Theresa Kail-Smith, who represents West End neighborhoods, thanked Burgess and Kraus for speaking up and said she’s counting on Biden to make good on his promise to unify the nation.

Council also has to work on bringing people of differing viewpoints together.

“We need to be uniters. We need to calm people down,” Kail-Smith said. “Some people have legitimate concerns and others have hate. I do fear what’s happening and what’s going to happen.”

Mayor Bill Peduto quoted Biden’s Jan. 7 statement on Twitter that “what we witnessed yesterday was not dissent — it was disorder. They weren’t protesters — they were rioters, insurrectionists, and domestic terrorists. I wish we could say we couldn’t see it coming, but that isn’t true. We could.”

The next crimes from this treason...The inactivity of Federal government to prosecute all under treason. The inability of main stream media to fully express difference between white supremacists & Black, Muslim, Jewish, LGBTQIA, etc Invasion of the US Capitol. “Equal Under Law”. https://t.co/w2HDaewblf

— bill peduto (@billpeduto) January 8, 2021

Other council members have already responded on social media to the incident.

“I will never get over the hypocrisy of every Republican elected official who helped Trump build and maintain power and peddle anger like a snake oil salesman, only to react with faux shock and horror when words turn into violence. I won’t forget and voters won’t either,” Councilwoman Erika Strassburger tweeted Friday.

I will never get over the hypocrisy of every Republican elected official who helped Trump build and maintain power and peddle anger like a snake oil salesman, only to react with faux shock and horror when words turn into violence. I won’t forget and voters won’t either. https://t.co/ttsXQE6nKW

— Erika Strassburger (@erikastrassbrgr) January 8, 2021

Councilman Bobby Wilson called what happened “appalling” in a tweet.

No matter what side you're on, it is Never acceptable to undermine our democratic institution via mob rule. What I'm seeing is appalling. pic.twitter.com/QTtUWJGrgU

— Bobby Wilson (@bobbywilson412) January 6, 2021

“Today is a terrible day for our country. Domestic terrorists should have never been allowed to act this way. This is not democratic. These individuals are cowards. I hope that DC residents and members, staff and employees at the Capitol are safe,” Councilman Corey O’Connor tweeted at the time.

Today is a terrible day for our country. Domestic terrorists should have never been allowed to act this way. This is not democratic. These individuals are cowards. I hope that DC residents and members, staff, and employees at the Capitol are safe.

— Corey O'Connor (@CoreyOConnorPGH) January 6, 2021

Council members Anthony Coghill and Deb Gross posted responses on Facebook:

“Trying to find words that can heal and provide comfort to the many of us who are mourning today are challenging because in times of deep pain, words are often not enough,” Coghill wrote.

“Yesterday we saw an attempt to overturn the 2020 election and overthrow the very democracy that defines our nation. The persistence of our elected officials in Washington to carry out the certification process gives us hope that attempts to rule through violence will fail. I commend our elected officials for not succumbing to fear and continuing the business of the nation,” Gross wrote last week.