January 6, 2021
The storming of the Capitol: These images shocked the world
Unbelievable scenes took place in Washington on January 6, 2021: protests by supporters of the elected President Donald Trump resulted in the storming of the Capitol.
The images from January 6, 2021 are burned into the collective memory of the USA: In an unprecedented attack on the heart of US democracy, angry supporters of the elected President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol in Washington, brutally beat overwhelmed police officers and drove away members of parliament , senators fleeing. They rioted at the seat of the US Congress for hours. A session of Parliament at which future President Joe Biden’s election victory is to be formally confirmed must be interrupted.
Trump wants to pardon these notorious Capitol stormers
Stewart Rhodes, founder of the “Oath Keepers”
Stewart Rhodes, Founder of the “Oath Keepers”was considered one of the masterminds of the Capitol storm. In November 2022, the man with the eye patch became the “seditious conspiracy” found guilty. At the end of May 2023, a Washington court set the sentence: 18 years in prison – one of the highest sentences imposed in connection with January 6th
© Susan Walsh/AP/DPA
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The police fight to the point of exhaustion, while parliamentarians are evacuated or cower under desks, fearing for their lives. But the security guards cannot stop the overwhelming number of rioters. The mob overcomes all barriers, breaks windows and doors and even penetrates into the meeting room, where a group of MPs and reporters can be brought to safety just in time. Five people die, including a Capitol Police officer who died of a stroke the day after, and an attacker who was shot by an officer.
The Capitol was only evacuated after four hours
It’s like being in one “medieval battle” police officer Aquilino Gonell later described the attack. He and his colleagues had to defend themselves inch by inch against the brutal mob. They were beaten, kicked, maltreated with hammers and sticks, and sprayed with chemicals. “I could have died that day. Not once, but many times”said the U.S. Capitol Police officer.
It was only four hours after the storming that the emergency services managed to drive the rioters out of the Capitol. And the night the riot was over, Congress reconvened amid tight security. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Democrat Nancy Pelosi, said in the resumed session: “We must and will show the country – and indeed the world – that we will not be distracted from our duty, that we will fulfill our responsibilities to the Constitution and the American people.” And that’s what the MPs did: Before sunrise, they confirmed Joe Biden’s election victory.
In the photo gallery you can see images of the Capitol storm that were considered unimaginable before January 6, 2021.
DPA · AFP
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Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
