Opposing Jan. 6 Vigils Planned For Thursday In Phoenix

PHOENIX, AZ — On the one-year anniversary of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that left four people dead and caused around $1.5 million in damage, federal officials have warned local law enforcement to be on the lookout for people looking to take advantage of the anniversary date.

Looking Ahead America has organized "Justice for J6" candlelight vigils set for Thursday night across the country, including in Phoenix, Prescott, Nogales and Yuma.

On its website, Looking Ahead said the vigils are "in honor of the hundreds of Americans who have been targeted for political prosecution as a result of exercising their First Amendment rights at the US Capitol on January 6th, 2021."

The Phoenix vigil is set for 6 p.m. Thursday on the east lawn of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix.

Another vigil, set for 4 p.m. on the state Capitol lawn, calls for Peace at the Polls, and is aimed at reminding people that voters decide the outcome of elections in the United States.

The Peace at the Polls vigil was put together and supported by 60 Arizona organizations, including Common Cause and League of Women Voters, according to a news release. Common Cause is a national nonprofit that says it is aimed at "upholding the values of American democracy."

Common Cause says the vigil on the one-year anniversary of the Capitol insurrection is meant to serve as a reminder that democracy depends on people coming together despite their social, economic, religious and political differences.

The Common Cause vigil is aimed at assuring, "that the right to vote is guaranteed, votes are counted and reported with integrity, and duly-elected officials and workers are free to serve the people in an atmosphere of peace," Common Cause said in the news release.

In addition to honoring those who were charged for rioting at the Capitol a year ago, the "Justice for J6" vigils across the nation are also set to honor 35-year-old Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, said Looking Ahead Executive Director Matt Braynard in a statement. Babbitt was shot and killed by a police officer as she attempted to climb through the broken window of door that was barricaded at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. The officer has been cleared of any wrongdoing in the shooting, the Associated Press reported.

"We invite our supporters to host these vigils to raise awareness of our government’s betrayal of these citizens and our fundamental values to perpetuate the phony 'insurrection' narrative," Braynard said in the statement.

More than 700 people have been arrested in connection with the Capitol riot, and 165 of those have pleaded guilty to federal charges.