Friday marks two years since the attack on our Nation’s Capital

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) - Friday marks two years since the attack on our nation’s capital.

“Hundreds of people on the Capitol grounds, many of them armed with weapons, violently forcibly entering the Capitol and making members of Congress flee for their safety,” Brewer said.

The attack was an attempt to stop the certification of electoral votes that would declare President Biden the winner of the 2020 election.

Mark Brewer, a political science professor at the University of Maine, recalls the moment he learned of the event.

“I can remember watching it with my kids and being stunned and appalled, and I never thought that I would, I am 51 years old, I never thought I would see anything like that,” Brewer said.

Over 950 arrests have been made since the attack with 484 guilty pleas and 40 convictions. Brewer said it’s important to hold them accountable.

“I think it is absolutely of the utmost importance that anyone who participates in this be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. I think it is more important if they can determine active planning,” he said.

Brewer said the impact of the attack remains to be seen, and that is partly because of the divided views of many.

“There are a lot of Americans that think that this is a terrible thing, and that those who are responsible and participated in it should be held accountable to the highest degree possible. And then there is another group of Americans who may see it as less problematic,” he said.

And, there is a third group. Brewer said it is about justice for them.

“Who not only see it as not a problem but who see the people that participated in that as true Patriots. they are fighting for justice,” Brewer said.

Although it may take years to fully understand the impact, Brewer said he hopes it never happens again.

“I think a lot of us, myself included, would have thought that that kind of a breach of the United States Capitol building complex would have been unthinkable. It obviously wasn’t. I think, you know, we see that, you know, I guess she’s now a former Speaker Nancy Pelosi did launch a review of security practices of the Capitol, and they’ve made some changes. Whether they’re enough, you don’t know obviously, you never can plan for these kinds of stuff. You don’t know if it’s going to be effective until something actually happens, and hopefully it’ll never happen again,” Brewer said.

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