LULAC Warns A Repeat Of The January 6, 2021 Insurrection Is Still Possible

Nation’s Largest and Oldest Latino Civil Rights Organization Says Political Misinformation Continues to Stoke Unrest Unabated

Washington, DC – The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) issued the following statement on the first anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. The protest and violence were carried out in an attempt to stop the ratification of the electoral ballot results from the November 2020 presidential election that defeated Donald Trump. The US Justice Department issued a report six months following the attack and stated that more than 535 people who took part in the insurrection were arrested in all 50 states. Five people died during the incident, a Capitol police officer lost his life the following day of stroke complications from injuries he suffered in the violence, and four other officers on duty during the attack died later from suicide. A full congressional investigation into the insurrection continues.

Photo: Jessica Griffin, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Sindy Benavides - LULAC National Chief Executive Officer
“On January 6 of last year, we witnessed an attack on our very democracy, and our republic came under assault from within. Those involved justified their actions as self-proclaimed patriots and said they had the right to ignore the results of an election that had been stolen. This charge was false. Also, allegations of voter fraud were spread recklessly and widely on social media, starting even months before the vote. The seeds of doubt were deliberately sown before millions of Americans cast their ballots in case the results did not go as they wanted after all the votes were tallied.

In the year since the attack, we have learned that even some members of Congress in both the House and the Senate knew of a secret plot underway. They said nothing and even provided access to the Capitol in the days leading up to the insurrection. Meanwhile, an entire network of participants to the attack hatched a secret plan off the grid. They exchanged information, including codes and details, covertly. Also, they drew up a blueprint to seize members of Congress and install President Trump as their leader, claiming martial law.

Photo: Kent Nishimura, Los Angeles Times

The sad fact is that even now, the misinformation continues to spread. Currently, factions of Americans support a narrative that says the rioters were ‘completely unarmed,’ that the actions of January 6 were just a protest of a ‘rigged election,’ and that police invited the rioters inside the Capitol. Also, they claim that the jailed rioters are nonviolent political prisoners, and the violence was a ‘false-flag’ attack carried out by people posing as legitimate protestors.

Make no mistake. Our battle for democracy is not over. We must continue to ask our members of Congress to hold social media platforms to a higher standard and ensure that misinformation, in any language, is taken down immediately and that political ad bans are enforced. Never assume that our freedoms are safe from being seized and that overnight, the force used by a few cannot overpower the many who are distracted. LULAC sounds the warning as it has for nearly 93 years. We must be united in the defense of our constitutional rights, resolved in our stance against untruths, and determined to be the constant sentries of social justice. Let this be our rallying cry now and for the future!”

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About LULAC
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1,000 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit www.LULAC.org.