Milwaukee voting rights groups rally ahead of Jan. 6 Capitol attack anniversary

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Saturday marks the third anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection on the United States Capitol. Local Milwaukee voting rights groups rallied early Thursday on Brady Street to call for measures to continue defending the nation's democracy ahead of an election year.

"On that day, the Capitol of the United States, the symbol of our democracy came under attack, it was a stark reminder of the fragility of our democratic institutions," said Samuel Liebert, the Wisconsin state director of All Voting is Local.

Voting rights groups in the city of Milwaukee met at Dryhootch Coffeehouse on Milwaukee's East Side Thursday morning with a strong message that the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol cannot ever happen again.

"We remember the profound bravery of so many law enforcement officers, so many staff and so many members of Congress," said Mandela Barnes, President of Power to the Polls Wisconsin.

More than a thousand people have been charged in the deadly riot three years ago and city leaders are hoping the anniversary serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining free and fair elections.

"I stand against things like voter intimidation, gerrymandering, strict voter ID laws, limited drop boxes, complex registration rules, excessive voter purging, language barriers, limited or no disability accessibilities and not adhering to the needs of older Americans," added Rev. Greg Lewis, executive director at Souls to the Polls Wisconsin.

Organizations like Souls to the Polls are ramping up their efforts to make sure everyone’s voice is heard this election season, because, they say, every single vote counts.

"We have this initiative called 'vote tripling' where you get three people to come with you to vote and then we have this postcard initiative where we can call 40, 50, 60 people and remind them that there is a vote," said. Rev. Lewis.