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US Capitol
Photo: Kay Nietfeld / dpa
Exactly one year after storming the US Capitol in Washington, US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have called on their compatriots to preserve democracy.
Surprisingly, it was not Biden who spoke, but Harris - who was present at the time of the storming of the Capitol - first.
"They didn't just want to destroy a building," said the US Vice President of the attackers on January 6th.
"Your attack was aimed at the values of our country." On that day, the United States saw "what our nation would look like if the forces that want to destroy our democracy are successful".
Then there would arise: "Chaos and violence".
Biden then used his subsequent speech as an attack on his predecessor Donald Trump: “For the first time in history, a president has not just lost an election, but has tried to thwart the peaceful transfer of power with the help of violent mobs . "Trump watched TV in the White House and did nothing for hours while the capital was" under siege. "
It was not the Capitol that was attacked, Biden continued: "The will of the people was attacked." The US Constitution had faced the worst threat from "brutal attackers."
“But democracy held out.”
Supporters of then President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021 to prevent the Democratic Party from confirming the election victory of his challenger Biden.
Five people were killed in the attack.
The attack on the heart of US democracy rocked the country.
Critics accuse the Republican Trump of having incited his supporters in a speech before the storming.
More soon at SPIEGEL.de
mrc / dpa
