Thousands Mobilizing to Watch Day One of the January 6th Committee Hearings on the Capitol Insurrection

As the U.S. House January 6 Select Committee begins its live televised hearings on the evening of June 9, thousands of people nationwide will join events organized to witness the non-partisan hearings that will lay out evidence collected by career prosecutors proving that Donald Trump and his allies engaged in a criminal conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election they lost. The Not Above the Law coalition is assisting in channeling the activist energy.

The hearings and the watch events, occurring in cities across the country - in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin and more - will take place amid ongoing attempts by former President Trump and his MAGA allies to sabotage future elections by changing state laws making it harder to vote, threatening state officials and packing election administration offices so that they can have the final say over election results -- even when they lose. More than 70 events are scheduled and the number is ever-increasing, with approximately 200 people attending a recent webinar to train watch event hosts.

"Members of the public are gathering to watch these hearings to underscore the message that MAGA Republicans' attacks on our elections and our democracy are not flying under the radar," said Lisa Gilbert, executive vice president of Public Citizen. "This is a criminal conspiracy that has been unfolding for more than a year, not just another blip in the news cycle. It's a top story that includes the fragility of our democracy and the ongoing threats to its integrity. We deserve the full story of how this attack on our country was perpetrated in order to hold people accountable and prevent future plots to interfere in our elections; these hearings will provide that."

"I am hosting a Watch Event because it is important to us in Texas to get the story straight," said Liz Wally, executive director of Clean Elections Texas. "Too many Texans have been enthralled by the Big Lie and live in fear, anger, and hatred. We see this acted out in violence and division as you see on the news. Knowing what really happened will be clarifying and hopefully healing. Being together as we watch is important to start discussions."

"After receiving over 120,000 documents, issuing more than seven dozen subpoenas, taking roughly 1,000 depositions and interviews, and processing hundreds of tips through its tip line, the bipartisan Select Committee is ready to share the results of its rigorous investigation with the American public through a series of June hearings," said Praveen Fernandes, vice president of the Constitutional Accountability Center. "These hearings promise to help us understand not only the violent attack on January 6, 2021, but the events leading up to this unprecedented attempt to thwart the will of American voters. Regardless of political party affiliation, anyone who cares about the future of this nation should plan to watch."

"Trump Republicans conspired to overturn the 2020 election and encouraged violent extremists to prevent Congress from carrying out its constitutional duty," said Brett Edkins, managing director for policy and political affairs at Stand Up America. "The non-partisan January 6th Committee has spent months diligently investigating the events leading up to and on January 6th, and interviewing individuals with firsthand knowledge of the conspiracy. The American people are ready to hear the full truth about the attack on our democracy."

"The 700,000 residents of DC have just one place we are represented in our Federal Government, the Electoral College," added Bo Shuff, executive director of DC Vote. "January 6th was an attack on all Americans, and even more so the people who live closest to the Capitol. In one action insurrectionists put our neighborhoods in danger as they sought to completely silence our voice. January 6th also demonstrated that the original arguments against Statehood are without merit. District residents are proud to protect democracy for all even as it is denied to us. Washingtonians will be watching closely."

"Georgia saw a blue wave during the 2020 elections at the federal level, yet the state remains under Republican control," said Agnes Gray, senior engagement organizer of Common Cause Georgia, who is hosting three watch events in Georgia. "As a result, the party in power has implemented intense changes to voting laws under SB 202, and counties that were instrumental in the creation of the blue wave have been hit with the most intense forms of redistricting (gerrymandering). Today we are experiencing a breakdown in trust and communication within the political landscape as we find ourselves amid a great divide where political tensions are greatly felt specifically within the Republican Party."

The Not Above the Law coalition is made up of over 150 organizations - ranging from legal, national security, netroots, and many more - committed to protecting democracy and fighting for the rule of law.