Homer residents gathered downtown at WKFL Park Tuesday to mark the anniversary of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol five years ago. The Coalition for a Healthy Democracy organized the event, which included signs and music. The coalition is made up of various local groups and citizens, including the Citizens Action Network and Veterans for Peace.
Coalition member Alex Koplin said more than 30 people attended and called that day a travesty.
“We felt like the whole insurrection at the Capitol was unbelievably ugly and it was unwarranted” Koplin said.
The Homer event coincided with the White House website being updated to describe the riot over the 2020 election results as a “peaceful march,” although several people died during or after the attack.
President Trump has repeated claims since then that the election was stolen, but federal courts and investigators have found no evidence of widespread voter fraud to support that.
In Washington, D.C., Democrats in Congress also marked the anniversary Tuesday with an unofficial hearing that included testimony from law enforcement about the violence at the Capitol that day.
Koplin, with the Homer coalition, said about 15 people went to the Homer Public Library for a roundtable discussion after the event. Participants discussed the events of January 6 and concerns about the future of democracy. He said the coalition plans to host future discussions that include residents from across the political spectrum.
“All sides coming together, right, left, and discussing this so we can have more of an open discussion. Because I think a lot of times information doesn't get listened to because you're only listening to one side of the conversation. And that's the other thing we're always hoping to do, is bridge that divide,” Koplin said.
Koplin said the coalition plans to hold additional discussions ahead of future elections.
