WASHINGTON — There were very few of our neighbors who felt the impact of Jan. 6 more than those who call Capitol Hill home.
They say the insurrection turned their neighborhood into a warzone. So how are they feeling now that former President Donald Trump had his first day in court?
Those who live in the shadow of the Capitol building say this is personal – their neighborhood, their home – the feeling of this close knit community has changed since the insurrection.
"It's nice to know he's not above the law," one neighbor said.
"It's a step in the right direction," said another neighbor.
And one said, "I think it made everybody more cautious and believe more that when people are rallying, it could go badly."
Capitol Hill residents going about their daily lives, but changed since the insurrection.
Katie said, "I remember we had a barricade up against our door because we were worried about people breaking in."
John said, "On Jan. 6, that day it was a frightening place to be stayed inside it was really too dangerous to be outside."
Many say Jan. 6 and the months following turned their quiet community into what felt like a warzone with security on high alert and neighbors on edge.
Preston Beard said, "We have a lot of trust in Capitol Police and D.C. as a whole to you know lessons learned and keep everybody safe."
But now as tensions have eased, and trial is imminent, residents are hopeful for a return to normalcy.
Beard said, "People who live and work here – walk a lot, bike a lot – this is our neighborhood. We don’t want anymore fences, we don't want anymore security than necessary – we want our neighborhood to feel like it's ours again."