Biden to host Jan 6 awards ceremony on 2-year anniversary

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Joe Biden will honor 12 people who "made exemplary contributions to our democracy surrounding" the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, the White House said Thursday.

"These 12 heroes demonstrated courage and selflessness during a moment of peril for our nation," a White House official said in a statement.

Biden will host the White House ceremony Friday for law enforcement officers injured during the attack, election workers and state and local officials, two years after the Capitol was besieged.

. They will all receive the Presidential Citizens Medal, including former Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick who will receive it posthumously after he lost his life in the wake of the insurrection.

The Presidential Citizens Medal is bestowed upon those who have "performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens," according to the White House website. It was established by President Richard Nixon in 1969.

Friday's ceremony will mark the first time Biden has awarded anyone with the medal.

About half of those who will be honored are current and former law enforcement officers, including Metropolitan Police Department Officer Michael Fanone, who has repeatedly demanded accountability for the violent riot.

Officials and election workers from key battleground states, including Michigan, Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania will also receive the award.