It has been five years since the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, a day when the House and Senate were meeting to certify election results before the situation turned violent.
According to AP News, five people died that day or in the days following, and about 1,200 people have been convicted, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C.
Anne Cooney, an activist with the Franklin County Democratic Committee, said, “I was horrified, I was mesmerized.”
Cooney recalled, “Yeah, there were people there that simply walked through the Capitol. I saw the footage and then the craziness began and it was frightening. It makes me tear up even now.”
Steve Dean, chair of the Botetourt Republican Committee, described the day differently. “It was a riot, it was not an insurrection as the media wants to call it,” he said.
Dean acknowledged the day was regrettable. “January 6 was a serious, regrettable day; it probably never should have happened.”
He added, “We feel like that day was a legal, appropriate day to look at an election... let’s just say that we don’t feel like the election was handled properly.”
The divide over January 6 shows no signs of fading. Five years later, people continue to view the events through very different lenses.
Cameron Williams, a conservative activist, said, “January 6 wasn’t just an addition to the political divide, I think it was the culmination of the political divide that we’ve already seen in the United States.”
Cooney expressed frustration over the political climate. “The fact that congresspeople had to remove their little congressional buttons at the suggestion of another congressman who said, ‘Take them off, don’t let them know who we are,’ is crazy.”
One local story stands out: Thomas Robertson, a former Rocky Mount police sergeant convicted for his role that day, was later pardoned by President Donald Trump on his first day in office.
Cooney said, “Thank you for being in law enforcement. I’m so sorry you believe what you believe. I hope you let go of it because it’s misguided.”
Dean defended the pardon. “The courts went overboard to give them the harshest sentences they possibly could, so yeah, after four years, I think he should be pardoned.”
The official plaque honoring law enforcement who defended the Capitol has never been hung, and there is no official memorial for January 6.
Cooney called the absence “absolutely ridiculous,” adding, “Why they think not having the plaque taken out of storage or the day not being honored—it’s like it just didn’t happen. Oh no, it happened and we all saw it.”
Williams said, “I believe there needs to be an official memorial plaque for the Capitol police.”
Dean said, “Investigate and come to the truth, and yes, when all that is done and we find police acted accordingly, then yes, a plaque would be in order.”
As the years pass, the political divide remains deep, and it is unclear if there is any common ground in sight.