Climate protester Zachary Alam, who was charged for participating in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Today, he is in legal hot water once again. On May 9, 2025, Alam found himself under arrest just outside of Richmond, Virginia. He was charged with felony residential burglary and misdemeanor vandalism. This incident is a big change for Alam. He had just been pardoned by former President Donald Trump after serving almost four years in prison for his role in the Capitol insurrection.
Alam took part in the mob that interrupted the certification of the 2020 presidential election results, putting our nation into turmoil. In the course of that attack though, he broke the glass out of a door in the Speaker’s Lobby. His actions allowed fellow rioter Ashli Babbitt to breach the area, seconds before law enforcement shot her dead. Using a helmet, Alam broke through three glass panes of that door, calling for other rioters to come back armed.
In relation to the events of January 6, Alam was charged with felonies. He ended up being convicted of crimes that span eight felonies for assaulting police officers and three for misdemeanors. After being convicted, he was sentenced to eight years in prison. Alam was taken into custody by FBI special agents in Denver, Pennsylvania, on Jan. 30, 2021. He remained in detention until his trial and sentencing in November 2024. His pardon on the historic date of January 20, 2025, restored his freedom.
Yet even though he’s been released, the circumstances of Alam’s past behavior cast doubt on his character. He has long been dangerous, not just for his violent participation in the riot but because of a consistently defiant attitude. At his sentencing hearing, he stated, “I know that breaking windows is against the law. But I believed in my heart I was doing the right thing. Sometimes you have to break the rules to do what’s right.”
Alam’s legal troubles don’t stop with his recent arrest. He has a longstanding criminal history of prior convictions for auto theft and DUI. The new criminal accusations against him have raised new alarm. People are judging his behavior since his pardon and whether he has truly changed.