Activists from the political action group “Rise And Resist” and their allies gathered on the steps of the New York Public Library in Midtown Manhattan on Friday, Jan. 6, demanding that the Department of Justice speed up the process and bring the ring leaders of the coup to justice.
The protest marked two years since an angry mob ginned up by former President Donald Trump’s baseless election theft claims stormed the U.S. Capitol in a violent attempt to overturn the 2020 election results, leading to the deaths of five U.S. Capitol Police officers, injuries to hundreds of others and causing alarm among millions of Americans who witnessed the attack on television.
After almost 18 months of investigation, the Jan. 6 Committee released its final report on Dec. 22, 2022. The damning report, which is more than 800 pages long, recommends the Justice Department pursue criminal charges against Trump for his role in the attack. It also recommends that Congress should act to bar Trump, who is running for president in 2024, and others involved in the Jan. 6 insurrection, from ever holding federal office again.
During the Midtown protest Friday, activists carried signs and banners with the names of those involved in the plot. “Rise And Resist” member Jonathan Walker read out loud the names of the coup plotters and enablers followed by the crowd chanting “indict, indict, indict.”
Besides Trump, his family, and his confidants Roger Stone, Steve Bannon, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Michael Flynn, and John Eastman, the defenders of democracy also called for the indictment and ouster of members of Congress like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz who are accused of enabling Trump.
During the gathering, a “Rise and Resist” Indict-Mobile stopped by showing a compilation of videos of the insurrection and images of the instigators. It also highlighted the importance of the 14th Amendment, which prevents coup plotters from holding office. The mobile circulated through the city, stopping at various high-traffic areas including Fox News’ Midtown headquarters.
“Rise And Resist,” which formed in 2016 after Trump was elected president, quickly became a staple on New York City’s protest scene. During Trump’s term, the group drew attention to pressing issues like the separation of children from their parents at the border, the climate emergency, or calling for the impeachment of former President Trump.
Stuart Waldman, who has been with “Rise And Resist” since its inception, pointed out that, while some of those who had actively participated in the storm on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, had already been sentenced and sent to jail, the masterminds behind the insurrection were still free.
Waldman attended Friday’s rally because he, like so many in attendance, are afraid full accountability for the attack will never come to pass. He was concerned that if the Justice Department didn’t move swiftly, it could pave the way for another coup.
“If this happens again, it’ll succeed. That’s where I’m afraid,” Waldman said. “You have to show that insurrection is against the law. I mean, the fact that I have to say it is unbelievable, and that it is one of the worst crimes you could do to your country.”
Waldman also called out members of the “Freedom Caucus” and referred to the 14th Amendment, which Waldman explained bans those who participate in insurrection from holding office.
“And what I’m afraid of is right now, a lot of these coup plotters are being interviewed on TV, they’re in Congress,” Waldman said. “If you’re part of an insurrection, you can’t be in office, and yet, they’re on Fox News.”
Fellow “Rise And Resister” Julie DeLaurier added that democracy was still a relatively new and fragile experiment.
“American democracy has never been presented with this particular threat before, so it’s new ground, and we’ve got to protect our democracy,” DeLaurier said. “And that’s what we’re doing here today.”
