By: Sophia Rathleff
As millions around the world watched on, the Capitol building, a symbol of democracy, fell. The events of January 6th 2021 were so unfathomable that the aftershocks are still ripping through democracies around the world. It was one of those events where most people could tell you what they were doing or where they were when it happened. It was not only a harrowing act of violence against the United States’ democracy but also against their “fellow Americans”. As the United States marked its anniversary, here is what we’ve seen in the past year.
To recap the events of January 6th 2021, it was originally a rally called the “Save America March”, which soon turned into a violent breach of the Capitol building. During Donald Trump’s 70-minute speech he encouraged his supporters to go to the Capitol to “cheer on'' Republican representatives. However, he later contradicted himself saying, “If you don't fight like hell you're not going to have a country anymore”. Seven days after, Donald trump was impeached for the second time. On the charges of incitement of insurrection, the senate declared him not guilty. The failure to convict meant Trump is able to; run for office in 2024, keep secret service details and his pension fund, among other things.
Furthermore, charges were not pursued against the officer who shot and killed rioter Ashli Babbitt. She was attempting to climb into the speaker’s lobby through a broken window. However, the individual that placed numerous pipe bombs around D.C, is worryingly still at large. On the other hand, convictions were made for some of the rioters, most notably the “QAnon shaman”. Jacob Chansley, a figurehead for the riot, was sentenced to 41 months in prison for his role in the event. Notable charges are also being pursued for former Olympic swimmer Klete Keller and a US Marine Reserve.
Over the course of 2021, we saw Donald Trump leave office and the Biden administration take effect. Biden made a statement on January 6th 2022 in regards to the event, commenting on Trump's discourse saying “It’s wrong. It’s undemocratic. And frankly, it’s un-American”. Additionally, Republican representatives involved with the Trump administration and the events of January 6 were notably absent from any discussions or memorials in the past weeks.
As the world starts to move on from the events of January 6th, democracy in the United States of America is arguably no more secure than it was a year ago. We're hurtling towards 2024 and the (somewhat) inevitable return of Trump to the Presidential race. The aftermath leaves people frightened and more polarised than ever. The lack of convictions and condemnations has led many to wonder about the likelihood of a repeated incident. We cannot be sure of the outcomes of the next few years, nor how this will be addressed in the coming future, but one thing we can be sure of is, thank goodness Trump is off Twitter.
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