Press Release · Thursday, January 7, 2021
Washington, DC
Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero today responded to the riots at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, January 6, that took place as Congress took up the presidential election certification process. He stated that the National Archives is taking appropriate measures to protect its employees and property, including the Charters of Freedom – the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights – and shared this statement with National Archives staff:
Yesterday I stood at my office window overlooking Pennsylvania Avenue and watched the angry mob make its way from the Ellipse rally to Capitol Hill. Waving Confederate flags and Trump 2020 campaign banners, chanting “Stop the Steal,” “Four More Years,” and “USA, USA, USA,” these fellow Americans were on their way to disrupt a sacred ceremonial rite of transition in which the National Archives plays an important role. Having watched an