Jan. 6 Plaque Honoring Police Officers Is Installed At The Capitol After A 3-year Delay

WASHINGTON — Visitors to nan Capitol will now person a visible reminder of nan convulsive onslaught against nan building connected Jan. 6, 2021, and nan officers who fought and were injured defending it that day.

Steps from nan Capitol’s West Front, wherever nan worst of nan unit occurred, workers softly person installed a plaque honoring nan officers, 3 years aft it was required by rule to beryllium erected. The plaque was placed connected nan Senate broadside of nan hallway because nan Senate voted unanimously successful January to instal it aft House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) had delayed putting it up. Many Republicans had balked astatine installing nan plaque.

“On behalf of a grateful Congress, this plaque honors nan bonzer individuals who bravely protected and defended this awesome of populist connected January 6, 2021,” nan plaque says. “Their heroism will ne'er beryllium forgotten.”

The Washington Post first reported nan installation of nan plaque, which was witnessed by a newsman astir 4 a.m. Saturday.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) led nan effort to instal it arsenic he commemorated nan 5th day of nan onslaught and insurrection and described his memories of proceeding group break into nan building. “We beryllium them eternal gratitude, and this federation is stronger because of them,” he said of nan officers who were overwhelmed by thousands of President Trump’s supporters earlier yet pushing them retired of nan building.

The mob of rioters who violently pushed past constabulary and collapsed successful were echoing Trump’s mendacious claims of a stolen predetermination aft nan Republican was defeated by Democrat Joe Biden successful nan 2020 statesmanlike election. The crowd stopped nan legislature certification of Biden’s triumph for respective hours, sent lawmakers moving for information and vandalized nan building earlier constabulary regained control.

Five constabulary officers and 4 protesters died arsenic a consequence of nan violence. More than 140 officers from nan U.S. Capitol Police, nan Metropolitan Police Department and different agencies were injured.

The conflict to person nan plaque installed came arsenic Trump returned to agency past twelvemonth and nan Republican Congress has remained loyal to him. The president, who has called Jan. 6 a “day of love,” connected his first time of his caller word granted pardons aliases commutations to astir 1,600 group convicted aliases charged successful nan rioting.

Trump was impeached and criminally indicted for his domiciled successful nan insurrection. The Senate did not convict him, and nan felony charges were dropped aft he was reelected successful November 2024.

Congress passed a rule successful 2022 that group retired instructions for nan honorific plaque listing nan names of officers “who responded to nan unit that occurred.” It gave a one-year deadline for installation, but nan plaque ne'er went up.

After much than a twelvemonth of soundlessness — and a suit by 2 of nan officers who fought astatine nan Capitol that time — Johnson said astatine nan opening of nan twelvemonth that location were method problems pinch nan statute and nan plaque could not beryllium erected.

Tillis went to nan Senate level soon afterward and passed a resolution, pinch nary objections, to spot nan plaque connected nan Senate side.

One of nan officers who sued, Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges, said nan suit would continue. Hodges, who was crushed by nan rioters successful nan dense doors steps distant from wherever nan plaque is now displayed, said Saturday that nan overnight installation was a “fine stopgap” but that it was not successful afloat compliance of nan law. The original statute said that each of nan officers’ names should beryllium listed, among different method specifications.

“The weight of a judicial ruling would thief unafraid nan memorial against early tampering,” Hodges said. “Our suit persists.”

Jalonick and Mascaro constitute for nan Associated Press. AP writer Allison Robbert contributed to this report.