The United States said on Monday that it opposed violent actions and protests but governments should deal with them consistent with the law.

Asked about May 9 protests in Pakistan and their similarity to the January 6 riots in the US, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that the US had the same stance everywhere in the world.

“So our thoughts are the same anywhere in the world, which is we support legitimate, free expression, including the right to protest, the right to peaceful assembly, and we oppose violent actions, we oppose vandalism, looting, arson,” Miller said in Monday’s press briefing.

“And when it comes to – when it comes to responding to those situations, we urge all – first of all, let me say all protests should be conducted peacefully, and governments should deal with them consistent with the rule of law and respect for free speech,” he added.

Asked about whether the US supports strikes against TTP in Afghanistan, Miller said that Pakistanis had suffered greatly at the hands of terrorism.

“So the Pakistani people have suffered greatly at the hands of terrorists. We have a shared interest in combating threats to regional security,” he said.

He added that the US has regularly engaged with Pakistan to boost regional security.

“We partner with a range of Pakistani civilian institutions and regularly engage the Government of Pakistan to identify opportunities to build capacity and strengthen regional security, including in our annual high-level counterterrorism dialogue.