The activists emphasized their desire to see the prosecution of top government officials — not just little-known rioters — and they specifically called out former President Donald Trump as well as Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Matt Gaetz of Florida, Jim Jordan of Ohio, and several others. Emphasizing their frustration with Attorney General Merrick Garland, activists unfurled a long sign urging him to “do your job” and “indict the coup plotters.”
Speaking on the anniversary of the attack, Garland sought to quell concerns that the DOJ has been too lenient on the more prominent suspects.
“The actions we have taken thus far will not be our last,” Garland said. “The Justice Department remains committed to holding all January 6th perpetrators, at any level, accountable under law — whether they were present that day or were otherwise criminally responsible for the assault on our democracy.”
On the same day, Taylor Greene and Gaetz appeared on Steve Bannon’s radio show and remained defiant and unapologetic, saying they had no responsibility in the insurrection. Meanwhile, Jordan is under the microscope of the House Committee probing the January 6 attack. The committee delivered a letter to Jordan last month asking him to sit down for an interview to discuss his communication with the former president on January 6 and the time leading up to the riot.
“Donald Trump tried every scheme imaginable to overturn the 2020 election results,” said activist Jamie Bauer, who participated in the demonstration. “He tried to coerce secretaries of state to not certify the election. He tried to pressure state legislatures to overturn the results. He tried to strong arm Pence to overturn the results. When all else failed he sent a mob of insurrectionists to the Capitol. Why has he not been indicted?”
The activists also called for the prosecution of former US National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark.
Activists used the demonstration to make phone calls to the DOJ to urge officials to target “the real perps of January 6.”
“Where’s the urgency?” asked Rise and Resist member Leon Kirschner. “Our government was nearly overthrown! When will we see charges of seditious conspiracy and incitement of insurrection for Roger Stone, Rudy Giuliani, Steve Bannon, Alex Jones and Michael Flynn? Mark Meadows defied a congressional subpoena — why hasn’t he been indicted already?… There are so many questions. Why isn’t the attorney general holding regular press conferences? Every day that passes without real accountability is another day that our democracy is threatened.”
