Capitol Storm Service Honor: Republicans ignored

Bat a ceremony commemorating the Storming of the US Capitol in January 2021, relatives of the then deceased police officer Brian Sicknick refused to shake hands with senior Republicans. With the Congressional Gold Medal – the highest award from the US House of Representatives – leaders of both Democrats and Republicans honored police officers who defended the House from a violent mob attack on Tuesday in Washington. Sicknick, who died the day after the storming, received the award posthumously.

A CBS video shows his mother, father and brother on stage Mitch McConnell, the Republican faction leader in the Senate, and Kevin McCarthy, the top Republican in the Congress Chamber. They ignore their outstretched hands. Ken Sicknick, the brother, justified this with the attitude of the Republicans to the Capitol attack. “They have no idea what integrity is, they can’t take responsibility for what’s right or wrong,” he told the broadcaster. For Republicans, the party comes first.

Trump had incited them

Supporters of the US President who has already been voted out donald trump had stormed the Congressional seat in Washington on January 6, 2021. Congress met there to formally confirm the election victory of Democrat Joe Biden. Trump had incited his supporters in a speech that he had been deprived of victory by massive fraud. Five people died at the time. The unprecedented attack on the heart of US democracy made headlines around the world.

Brian Sicknick collapsed several hours after the Capitol storm and died the next day. According to coroners, he suffered a stroke. However, a connection with the events at the Capitol has not been ruled out. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Democrat Nancy Pelosisaid the courage of the police officers “ensured that democracy survived on this dark day”.

During hearings by a committee of inquiry into the attack, several police officers themselves vividly described their experiences of that day. One of the officers described the violence “like something out of a medieval battle”. The officers had to defend themselves inch by inch against the violent mob with their hands – they were punched and kicked, maltreated with hammers and sticks and sprayed with chemicals.