According to a schedule made public by his office on Monday, US President Joe Biden intends to hold a White House ceremony to mark the second anniversary of the Jan 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.
With Friday’s event, the 79-year-old Democrat president will have a rare opportunity to address the current events sparked by the deadly riot by Donald Trump’s supporters. Their actions prevented the Democrat’s 2020 victory from being certified.
The riot has been denounced by President Joe Biden as a threat to American democracy and the rule of law. But he rarely mentioned his predecessor by name in public and has focused his presidency on bringing the country together and mending its partisan divides.
In a White House press release, President Biden said, “To state the obvious, one year ago today, in this sacred place, democracy was attacked — simply attacked. The will of the people was under assault. The Constitution — our Constitution — faced the gravest of threats.”
“Let us step up, write the next chapter in American history where January 6th marks not the end of democracy, but the beginning of a renaissance of liberty and fair play. I did not seek this fight brought to this Capitol one year ago today, but I will not shrink from it either,” he added.
Over 140 police officers were hurt during the riot on January 6 and five people, including a police officer, died during or shortly after the incident. The damage to the Capitol cost millions of dollars.
Inquiring into the 2021 attack, the Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives panel asked federal prosecutors to indict Trump for four crimes, including obstruction and insurrection, last month. For the first time ever, a former president was referred to the criminal justice system by Congress.
Former president Donald Trump has criticized the House investigation as partisan while also being the subject of two other federal investigations.
On the morning of January 6, 2021, the former president delivered a speech to his supporters and publicly reprimanded then-Vice President Mike Pence for refusing to support his plan to invalidate votes cast for Biden.
