Reno’s City Plaza was filled on Thursday with people marking the one-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Those who gathered in Reno were there to both decry the people who brought violence to the nation’s capital one year ago and to also discuss the long-term effects that day might have on democracy.
The vigil in Reno was organized by Indivisible Northern Nevada, a non-partisan volunteer organization in support democracy and voting rights, and was one of more than 220 events nationwide.
Voting rights were central to the discussion. Organizers advocated for passage of federal legislation including the Freedom to Vote Act, Protecting Our Democracy Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
Others expressed concern over new voting restrictions imposed in some states, especially measures recently put in place in Texas. Event speakers and attendees said the freedom to vote was in danger from promoters of the “stolen election” conspiracy.
Local political podcaster and writer Edwin Lyngar talked about the revisionist history some people continue to push.
“There is a deliberate concerted attempt to change what happened, what we all witnessed on January 6,” he said. “This is a savage attack and the worst case of gaslighting I’ve ever seen. We have to speak up, we cannot let this narrative be hijacked by nonsense, disinformation and Fox News.”
Many people at the rally, including Lyngar, said they believe decisions made at the ballot box during the upcoming midterm election and the next presidential election may decide if America will remain a democratic system.
