Susan Sarandon condemns Capitol Building rioters as 'terrorists'

Susan Sarandon has called the rioters who stormed Capitol Hill ‘terrorists’ and criticised police efforts to combat the invasion. 

The US Congress meeting building was attacked by Trump supporters, who were protesting the certification of President-elect Joe Biden's victory. His win has been largely credited to democratic political activist, Stacey Abrams (opens in new tab), who turned her state blue after years of campaigning. 

Oscar-winning actress and political activist Susan Sarandon took to Twitter to condemn mainstream media’s coverage of the incident, blasting CBS news for their defence of the Washington DC police force. 

The CBS anchorman praised law enforcement for its perseverance in light of the past year's civil unrest. “We should tip our hats to the DC police and frankly they’ve put up with a lot of this year, whether it’s pro or anti-Trump supporters, the Black Lives Matter protests that were held," he commented live on-air as the events unfolded last night. 

The anchor continued, “This is a police force that’s been worn pretty thin.” 

Sarandon, who has been an outspoken critic of the US criminal justice system and police brutality, was quick to call out these controversial remarks. She rejected the suggestion that the police were exhausted, chastising them for their relaxed response to the attackers. 

 "So 'worn out' but still able to take selfies with terrorists. Escorting them out of the building peacefully," Sarandon posted, linking a clip to the CBS anchor's statements. "Watch the normalization of this attack on a Federal Building with elected representatives inside." 

Never one to shy away from politics, the democratic socialist has been particularly vocal about social injustice in the US since President Trump's election. She has advocated for a number of progressive causes, including the Black Lives Matter movement and LGBT rights, and is a strong opponent of the death penalty.

She is currently using her online platform to retweet the views of fellow anti-Trump campaigners, including Mark Ruffalo, Anthony V. Clark and Marianne Williamson.