“Today, the primary dividing line in American politics is not Republicans versus Democrats. It’s freedom versus despotism,” said speaker Evan McMullin.
(Niki Chan Wylie for The Salt Lake Tribune) A crowd gathers at a candlelight vigil for democracy at the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building on Jan. 6, 2022.
| Jan. 7, 2022, 5:06 a.m.
| Updated: 5:09 a.m.
The candlelight vigil on Thursday began with a moment of silence. But even as speakers recounted the U.S. Capitol attack exactly one year ago, they didn’t seem somber — they seemed defiant.
Organizers called on the crowd outside the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building in downtown Salt Lake City to remember what happened on Jan. 6, 2021, protect democracy, and vote in November.
The mostly masked crowd of about 75 people held up signs that read: “Votes Not Violence” and “Stop the Spread. No more lies.”
”Today, the primary dividing line in American politics is not Republicans versus Democrats,” said Evan McMullin, who is running for U.S. Senate as an independent candidate against Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee. “It’s freedom versus despotism, order versus chaos, truth versus lies, and fear versus love.”
(Niki Chan Wylie for the Salt Lake Tribune) Evan McMullin speaks at a candlelight vigil for democracy at the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building on Jan. 6, 2022.
[Read more: Where Utah’s congressional delegation stand on Jan. 6 Capitol attack one year later]
Upbeat music played as kids clambered up on concrete pillars to see over the attendees. One man, with his long gray hair pulled into a low ponytail, said he didn’t understand why the red pro-Trump hats read “Make America Great Again.” He said, “When did America stop being great?”
The event’s four main speakers represented the full political spectrum. McMullin spoke first, calling on people to unite across political lines against the “anti-democracy movement,” which he said is present in Utah.
He called for the rioters who broke into the Capitol to be held accountable.
Jake Hunsaker, a Republican, drew loud boos from the crowd when he mentioned Rep. Burgess Owens, who he is running against in Utah’s 4th Congressional District.
(Niki Chan Wylie for the Salt Lake Tribune) A crowd gathers at a candlelight vigil for democracy at the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building on Jan. 6, 2022.
Referencing the comments that Owens made about “real men” at a right-wing conference in December, Hunsaker said, “A real man prioritizes peace over violence.”
Americans are angry and upset about what happened during the Capitol attack, he said, adding that nonpartisan gatherings like the one held Thursday filled him with optimism.
However, after the vigil, when a Tribune reporter asked Hunsaker if he thought the truth of the deadly Jan. 6 attack was sinking in for conservatives, he said, “unfortunately no.” As if to support his point, one truck drove past after the vigil had ended, with a voice over a loudspeaker saying, “Jan. 6 was a mostly peaceful protest.” No visible counterprotesters were at the event.
Kael Weston, the Democrat who challenged Chris Stewart in Utah’s 2nd Congressional District in 2020, said he looked up headlines printed by newspapers around the world from Jan. 6. “We need to remember that day’s going to reflect on us for a long time,” he said.
The final speaker – author and activist Darlene McDonald – spoke directly to the crowd when she said, “We are here not because we hate America. We are here because we are Americans. We are not here because we want America to fail. We are here because we want America to live up to its promise.”
The vigil ended with an organizer calling upon attendees to vote. Before dispersing into the night, the crowd answered with a resounding “yes.”
