When my husband suggested a few days before January 6, 2021 of attending the rally that was being held to protest for the Congress and Senate approval of the electoral college I was hesitant and a bit nervous going.
Most of the memorable and valuable things in my life happen because my husband comes up with something daring and exciting that I usually wouldn’t do on my own. This is one of those things that I do not regret. As I write this, there are already misconceptions and false reports of what happened yesterday. Lately I have felt that the media is one-sided and I cannot get unbiased information. Therefore the fact that I was there it’s a good thing because I can share my account with those who would be interested in the account of my young family attending this event.
We are staying the week In Williamsburg Virginia as a homeschool trip visiting the historical sites and living museums in this beautiful part of Virginia. My mother-in-law kindly let us use a timeshare and we’re staying at a wonderful resort with an indoor pool and lovely amenities. Our three boys and five-month-old baby made the trip in a car from Texas Virginia. And my mom was kind enough to keep my two-year-old toddler daughter. So far we have visited Jamestown, Yorktown, and will be visiting Williamsburg today.
Having been to those places reminds me of how the American people begin and how it is our duty to let our voices be heard when there is injustice and being reminded by my husband that our children need to learn when to stand up for what is right, even if it is not easy.
Being that I am not a political person and in general politics aren’t a topic that I am passionate about, it took going to the historical sites and being reminded of the sacrifices made that helped convince me to go yesterday to the rally.
Williamsburg is about 2 1/2 hours from Washington DC so we woke up at around 5:30 AM and drove to Fairfax, Virginia. We parked at a metro station to take the train into the city. While we were unloading, a group of people standing in the parking lot approached us and asked if we were headed to the rally and if we would be interested in joining their group. We gladly accepted. After getting our metro passes and making our way into the train the group decided they would all form a circle around our little family as we walked around at the rally for extra protection. We chose places where we would meet if we were to get separated.
We got some time to explain to the boys what we were doing and how to be prepared if things got out of hand. We got a chance to tie over the things we had learned at the museums and historical sites and what we were doing today- exercising our right to stand up for what we believe. We made our way from the metro station west on Pennsylvania Avenue then took a left toward the Washington Monument.
We stopped in front of the Washington Monument facing Ellipse where there was a stage. We stood there for about 40 minutes, enough to change a poopy diaper and get the older kids some snacks, then we heard the president begin his speech.
We heard about half an hour of his speech and he urged the people to walk towards the Capitol building and let their voices be heard. I did not hear him instigating a war or infiltration of the building. Now just like anywhere, you’re going to have your crazy people that are into creating havoc or fighting or rowdiness. I would say I saw around me little pockets of 2 to 4 people who were saying things like “F%$ Antifa” or inappropriate signs about the president elect. But this is a tiny percentage compared to the other citizens peacefully supporting and showing solidarity. Mind you, those in attendance were probably in the 2 million mark. I have never seen so many people in my life. It was an extraordinary thing to see so many different people of colors, ethnicities, race, ages, etc. Because what I hear in the media is that it is rich white folk who are supporting the current party. I mean, I am brown, Mexican America, and female but I thought I was an exception. Turns out I am not.
We started making our way down Constitution Avenue toward the Capitol Building. The things that stood out to me were:
-people selling Trump memorabilia,
-a group giving out books and pamphlets,
-posters of aborted babies,
-people with portable speakers preaching about Jesus,
-several groups of Chinese people asking for support,
-boarded up businesses,
-only one anti-protester,
-the difference between state police and military police- military police were not Wearing facemasks and when asked He said, “it’s not cold enough yet to be wearing a mask!”
-only 4-6 porter potties with enormous lines
-only one news interview taking place and the interviewee was speaking Russian (no major news reporters of any kind)
-honest, smart, courteous, decent people around me wanting a change
When we got closer to the Capitol we decided to sit by the Capitol reflections pool. We were there for about 15 minutes when one of our group escorts (which by this time, I realized he was retired military) told our group that we needed to move out of that spot because the group of guys that was behind us was noticed by military police and had positioned himself to watch them (suspecting Antifa).
It was also getting quite chilly by this time and windy so our group moved to the other side of the bushes on the Grant memorial bench.
We stood there for about an hour as we watched more people flood into the area. As far as the eye could see, there were people who were just standing facing the Capitol building. While we stood there we could hear something like cherry bombs exploding and little smoke pillars every once in a while.
At around 3:30 PM the group decided that it was about time to head out after getting an emergency warning on our cell phones declaring that DC was instilling a curfew at 6 PM. As we headed north east toward the metro station we saw about six armored riot police walking toward the Capitol building.
This is also when we heard the rumor that the Capitol building had been breached and that a woman had been shot. We knew we had made the right decision. We got on the train and went back to our car. On the drive toward Williamsburg we saw a Long line of about 30 emergency vehicles driving opposite us toward DC. We finally got back to our hotel at around 7:45 PM.
I am staying away from mainstream media so I only get what I heard on the radio on our way back and they are making it seem like Trump instigated the break in. However, people who were there at the Capitol entrance (Steve, Matt, and Ashley) went in, said it was Antifa guys who broke into the building and the Trump supporters were trying to stop them. Once Antifa broke into the building, the crowd pushed in and the police held their ground and escorted everyone out a side door down the hallway. “It felt staged”, they say. Another lady, Tanya from Alaska that Lowell was texting with who was with the group where the lady was shot. She texted Lowell here are the screenshots.
All in all, I feel like a huge portion of Americans ask for justice. It isn’t just all conspiracy theorists and hillbilly folk. It is the small business owner, the people who believe in independence and freedom of expression and self. But alas, by the feel of things, this nation is up for some changes.
I’ll be posting a few videos and embed them within the next few days so check back! For now, here’s the link to the playlist I made throughout the day.
-Vanessa