On the second anniversary of the attack on the US Capitol, President Joe Biden honored several police officers for their service that day. Biden presented several police officers at the White House on Friday, for the first time in his presidency, with the so-called Citizen’s Medal in recognition of how they defended the seat of Congress from a violent mob on January 6, 2021. The president also honored other citizens, such as poll workers who had been intimidated and threatened amid the turmoil surrounding the presidential election at the time.
On January 6, 2021, supporters of then President Donald Trump violently stormed the seat of parliament in Washington. Congress met there to formally confirm Democrat Biden’s victory in the presidential election. Trump had previously incited his supporters in a speech that he had been deprived of a victory by massive election fraud. Five people died as a result of the riots.
Biden recalled the unprecedented outbreak of violence two years ago. “The US Capitol was stormed in a way that had never happened before in the history of the United States, not even during the Civil War,” he said. “All of this was fueled by lies about the 2020 election.” Referring to the honorees, he said history will remember their names, courage and extraordinary dedication.
He called on the American people to speak with one voice that there is no place for political violence and voter intimidation in the United States. “America is a country of law, not chaos. A nation of peace, not violence,” Biden said. “We are not a country of kings and dictators, autocrats and extremists.”
