The heads of JPMorgan Chase & Co., BlackRock Inc., Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Citigroup Inc. and other Wall Street firms called for violence to cease at the U.S. Capitol, where President Donald Trump’s supporters overwhelmed police and stormed the halls of Congress on Wednesday.

“I strongly condemn the violence in our nation’s capital,” JPMorgan Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon said in an emailed statement. “This is not who we are as a people or a country. We are better than this. Our elected leaders have a responsibility to call for an end to the violence, accept the results and, as our democracy has for hundreds of years, support the peaceful transition of power.”

Trump had encouraged supporters to come to Washington to back his efforts to overturn the result of November’s presidential election. The protests interrupted debates in the Senate and House of Representatives over whether President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College votes should be accepted from Arizona.

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink called the violence “an assault on our nation, our democracy and the will of the American people.”

“The peaceful transfer of power is the foundation of our democracy,” Fink said in a statement. “We are who we are as a nation because of our democratic institutions and process.”

Goodwill 'Squandered'

Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon urged the U.S. to begin reinvesting in its democracy and rebuilding the institutions that have made America “an exceptional nation.”

“For years, our democracy has built a reservoir of goodwill around the world that brings important benefits for our citizens,” he said in a statement. “Recently, we have squandered that goodwill at an alarming pace, and today’s attack on the U.S. Capitol does further damage.”

Citigroup CEO Michael Corbat said in a statement that he’s “disgusted by the actions of those who have stormed the U.S. Capitol” to stop the election results from being certified.

“While these scenes are very difficult to watch, I have faith in our democratic process and know that the important work of Congress will continue and that people will be held accountable for their actions,” Corbat said. “I pray this situation can be resolved without further bloodshed.”

‘Heartbreaking’ Events

George Walker, CEO of Neuberger Berman Group LLC, said in a statement that “today’s events are heartbreaking but sadly not surprising.” Walker was among almost 200 CEOs who signed a Partnership for New York City letter in November calling for an orderly presidential transition.

“Any form of violence is unconscionable and unacceptable,” Jefferies Financial Group Inc. CEO Rich Handler said in a statement. “All of our leaders must unequivocally condemn the unlawful actions at the Capitol and exert all efforts to bring them to an end.”

Wells Fargo & Co. CEO Charlie Scharf also urged an immediate end to the violence.

“We must embark on the peaceful transition of power to President-elect Biden, a hallmark of our republic,” he said in a statement. “I encourage our leaders to come together to address the divisions in our society, ensure faith in our system and respect the electoral process.”

--With assistance from Jenny Surane, Annie Massa, Hannah Levitt, Peter Eichenbaum, Sonali Basak and Sridhar Natarajan.