The Palauans around the world watching rioting event unfold in U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, January 6, recoiled in collective shock when they saw Palau’s distinctive flag of golden full moon in a sea of ocean blue flying on the ramparts of United States Capitol amidst the rioting protestors scaling US Capitol walls.
Palauan netizens exploded all over the social media with condemnations of the person who brought the Palauan national flag to such violent political event, which they say is not any of Palau’s business.
Palau’s Ambassador to the United States, Ambassador Hersey Kyota, condemned the act, saying that “the flag of the Republic of Palau has no place in disorder or unlawful act” and “should never be associated with acts of violence or destruction of properties.” He said that people had right to express their opinions but the Palau flag should not have been carried by a rioter at the U.S. Capitol and that it was “outright wrong and absolutely unacceptable.”
Other citizens on social media did not mince words with some calling for some forms of punishment for the person who carried Palau’s flag to riot in the U.S. Capitol.
One person said, do whatever you want to support Trump but “do not use our country’s honor, represented by that flag, to represent your personal, individual beliefs.”
Many Palauans on social media are calling the act a shameful act, an act that brings shame to Palau.
The storming of the United States Capitol in Washington D.C. by President Trump supporters in an effort to disrupt and to stop the certification of electoral votes certifying Joe Biden as the President of the United States, has been called a lawless act.
US Secretary of State Pompeo called storming of the US Capitol as “lawlessness and intolerable” and called for swift justice on those that participated in the rioting. “Let us bring swift justice to the criminals who engaged in this rioting.” He added, “America is better than what we saw today.”
The person who brought the Palau flag to the riot, if identified could face possible legal repercussion for participating in an unlawful act against the U.S. government.