Key Takeaways
- A "memorial march" to honor those who lost their lives in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol is set to be held on Tuesday, Jan. 6, in Washington, D.C.
- The march is being organized by former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who was sentenced to 22 years in connection with the attack but was released in January 2025 after receiving a pardon from President Donald Trump.
- The march will honor the memory of Ashli Babbitt, a military veteran who was shot and killed while attempting to breach the House chamber on Jan. 6, 2021.
- The event is expected to be a "patriotic and peaceful" one, with Tarrio urging anyone with the intention of causing trouble to stay home.
Introduction to the Memorial March
A "memorial march" to honor those who lost their lives in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol is set to be held on Tuesday, Jan. 6, in Washington, D.C. The march is being organized by former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who announced the event in a post on X. Tarrio, who received a 22-year sentence in connection with the attack for seditious conspiracy, was released in January 2025 after President Donald Trump approved pardons for nearly 1,600 people charged in the riot. The march is intended to honor the memory of those who lost their lives, including Ashli Babbitt, a military veteran who was shot and killed while attempting to breach the House chamber on Jan. 6, 2021.
Details of the Memorial March
The 5-year memorial march is set to begin at 11:45 a.m. local time on Tuesday, Jan. 6, at the Ellipse, a park in front of the White House in Washington, D.C. The crowd is expected to walk about a mile and a half to the Capitol, following the same path rioters took nearly five years ago on Jan. 6, 2021. Tarrio has urged his followers to join him "as we march for Ashli Babbitt," and "in memory of those who passed away." He has also stated that the march would be a "PATRIOTIC and PEACEFUL" one, and if anyone has the "intention of causing trouble," they should "stay home." The event is expected to be a somber occasion, with those in attendance honoring the memory of those who lost their lives in the attack.
Background on the January 6 Attack
The January 6 attack on the Capitol was a violent incident that occurred on January 6, 2021, when a mob of supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The attack resulted in the deaths of several people, including Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed by a Capitol Police officer while attempting to breach the House chamber. The incident was widely condemned, and several people, including Tarrio, were charged in connection with the attack. Trump and other prominent conservatives had held a rally at the Ellipse on the same date in 2021, encouraging supporters to march down to the Capitol and protest the certification of the 2020 presidential election.
Those Being Honored at the Memorial March
The memorial march is intended to honor the memory of several individuals who lost their lives in the January 6 attack, including Ashli Babbitt, Rosanne Boyland, Kevin Greeson, Benjamin Philips, and Brian Sicknick, a U.S. Capitol Police officer who died after suffering two strokes after he defended the Capitol during the assault. Babbitt, in particular, has been remembered as a military veteran and staunch Trump supporter who was shot and killed while attempting to breach the House chamber. Her family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the U.S. government, seeking $30 million in damages. The Washington Post reported that Trump’s administration agreed to settle for nearly $5 million, reversing the Justice Department’s earlier opposition in the case.
The Proud Boys Organization
The Proud Boys organization, which Tarrio was a part of, describes itself as a group of "Western chauvinists who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world." The group allows only men to join, and women wishing to be a part of it can do so by marrying a Proud Boy. The George Washington University’s Program on Extremism refers to the Proud Boys as a "far-right neo-fascist organization," founded by former Vice Magazine co-founder Gavin McInnes in 2016. The group has been associated with several violent incidents, including the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Tarrio joined the Proud Boys in 2017 and quickly rose to become their leader in 2018, according to reports from NBC6 and BBC.
Conclusion
The memorial march set to be held on Tuesday, Jan. 6, in Washington, D.C., is intended to honor the memory of those who lost their lives in the January 6 attack on the Capitol. The event is being organized by former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who was sentenced to 22 years in connection with the attack but was released in January 2025 after receiving a pardon from President Donald Trump. The march is expected to be a somber occasion, with those in attendance honoring the memory of those who lost their lives, including Ashli Babbitt, a military veteran who was shot and killed while attempting to breach the House chamber on Jan. 6, 2021.
