Unify the Rally Right , also known as the Charlottesville rally , Charlottesville Riot , or A12 , far-right right in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, from August 11 to 12, 2017. His stated purpose is to oppose the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee from Emancipation Park. Agenda Nathan Damigo said the rally was intended to unite the white nationalist movement in the United States. The protesters included white supremacists, white nationalists, neo-Confederates, Clans, neo-Nazis, and various militia. Some protesters chanted racist slogans and antisemitism, carrying semi-automatic rifles, swastika, Confederate battle flags, and anti-Muslim banners and antisemitism.
The demonstration took place amid the backdrop of controversy generated by the abolition of Confederate monuments across the country in response to a church shoot in Charleston in 2015. The event turned violent after protesters clashed with counter-demonstrators, causing more than 30 people to be injured. On the morning of August 12, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency, stating that public safety can not be maintained without additional strength. Within an hour, Virginia State Police declared the trial unlawful. At about 1:45 pm, a man associated with a white supremacist group crashed his car into a crowd of protesters about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) from the rally site, killing one person and wounding 19 people. Alleged perpetrator, James Alex Fields Jr., was arrested and charged with second degree murder. Attorney General Jeff Sessions described the attack as domestic terrorism, and authorities began a civil rights investigation to determine whether the driver would be tried under hate crime laws.
President Donald Trump's statement about Charlottesville received significant negative attention. In his initial rally statement, Trump did not publicly condemn the white nationalists, instead condemning "hatred, fanaticism and violence on many fronts". His later declaration and defense, in which he also called "excellent men on both sides", was seen by critics as implying moral equality between white supremacist demonstrators and those who protested them, and interpreted by many as a sign that he sympathized with white supremacy.
Demonstrations and clashes around him sparked a counterattack against the white supremacist group in the United States. A number of groups participating in public meetings have canceled events by universities and their social and financial media accounts that were shut down by large corporations.
Video Unite the Right rally
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In the wake of the Charleston church shoot in 2015, efforts were made throughout the country to remove Confederate monuments from the public spaces and rename the streets honoring famous figures of the Confederacy. Although often successful, such efforts often face counter-attacks from conservatives or people who worry about protecting their Confederate heritage. The August 11-12 rally was held to protest the abolition of Robert E. Lee's statue in honor of Confederate General Robert E. Lee at Emancipation Park in Charlottesville, Virginia, which was renamed by the city council. from Lee Park in June 2016. The event was hosted by Jason Kessler who took the cause in March 2016 when Charlottesville's deputy mayor Wes Bellamy held a press conference calling for the removal of the statue. Kessler, who calls Bellamy an "anti-white", has uncovered a series of offensive tweets made by Bellamy and failed to try to get them out of the office.
Kessler also referred to the renaming as the reason for the rally.
Summer rally in Charlottesville
On May 13, 2017, white supremacist Richard Spencer chaired a rally in Charlottesville to protest a city plan to remove Lee's statue. The event involved protesters holding a torch near the statue. On the same night, a counterprotest candlelight occurs.
Ku Klux Klan held another rally in Charlottesville on July 8th. About 50 Clan members and 1,000 protesters gathered in a violent but non-violent protest; Klans members leave the park after about 45 minutes. Contrary to a rally, Clergy Collective Charlottesville created a safe space at First United Methodist Church, which was used by more than 600 people.
Protester
Among the right-wing groups involved in organizing the parade were clubs from the Neo-Nazi website The Daily Stormer The Right Stuff , National Policy Institute, and four groups forming the Nationalist Front: the neo-Southern Confederation League, the Traditionalist Workers Party, the American Vanguard, and the National Socialist Movement. The other groups involved in the rally were Ku Klux Klan, the Brotherhood Order of the Alt-Knight, the Identity Evropa, the Rise Above Movement, the American Guard, the Detroit Right Wings, the True Cascadia, and the Anti-Communist Action.
The most far-reaching figures in attendance included Chairman of National Policy Institute Richard Spencer, Baked Alaska entertainer, former Libertarian Party candidate Augustus Invictus, former Imperial Wizard clan David Duke, Identity Evropa leader Nathan Damigo, CEO of Traditionalist Youth Network Matthew Heimbach, Stuff Owner Mike Enoch, Founder of League of the South Michael Hill, Red Ice host Henrik Palmgren, The Rebel Media commentator, Faith Goldy, Right Side Network Broadcasting AltRight.com editor Daniel Friberg, former
Airbnb canceled a number of reservations and accounts when it learned that they were used by participants at a rally, citing a request that the user endorsed a commitment to "accept persons regardless of race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or age ".
Militia
Many right wing armed militia groups were present at the rally, claiming to be there to protect the rights of the First Amendment of protesters. The groups involved include Light Light Foot Militia, New York Light Football Militia, Virginia Minutemen Militia, Guardians of Vows and 3 Percenters.
Counter-demonstrators
Those who marched against the rally united against white supremacy, but "supported a variety of ideological beliefs, favored tactics, and political goals." A large number were ordinary Charlottesvilleers who wanted to show their hatred towards white supremacist groups, especially after the Ku Klux Klan held rally in the city on July 8. "Ahead of the rally, a series of" faith-based groups, civil rights organizations, local businesses, and faculty students and students at the University of Virginia "are planning counter action. In July 2017, a group of ecumenical and interfaith clergymen, Congregate Charlottesville, called for a thousand members of the clergy to oppose the demonstration. The Charlottesville House of Prayer also gathered there to pray. Opposing groups include representatives of the National Council of Churches, Black Life, Anti-Racist Action, American Social Democrats, World Workers' Party, Revolutionary Communist Party, Rejecting Fascism, Redneck Revolt, World Industrial Workers, Metropolitan Anarchist Coordinating Council, and Displays for Racial Justice. Members of the Antifa movement were also present.
University and city preparation
The rally occurred when the University of Virginia (UVA) was between summer and fall. On August 4, University President Teresa Sullivan sent an e-mail to students and lecturers, who said, "I encourage students and all members of the UVA community to avoid the August 12 rally and avoid general physical confrontation There is a risk of credible violence at the event and your safety is my main concern. "The University of Virginia Medical Center cancels all elective operations and preemptively activates its emergency response plans. Fearing of possible violence, the Virginia Museum of Discovery and some downtown businesses were closed for the day of the protests.
Virginia Public Security and Homeland Security Secretary Brian Moran said that the state has made a number of security recommendations to the City for the event, including banning weapons and sticks; designated a certain parking area, and blocked traffic for at least ten blocks. However, the city does not impose this restriction; The city manager, Maurice Jones, said that city regulations make it impossible for the city to enact some state advice.
Maps Unite the Right rally
Event schedule
Permissions and court cases
Jason Kessler, one of the rally organizers, applied for permission from City of Charlottesville to hold an event at Emancipation Park. A week before the event, the Charlottesville government - including Mayor Michael Signer, city councilman, City Manager Maurice Jones, and Police Chief Al Thomas - said they would approve permission only if the event was moved to a larger McIntire Park. City leaders addressed security concerns and logistical issues associated with holding an event at Emancipation Park, adjacent to the heavily populated Downtown Mall. Kessler refused to agree to relocate the protests, but City also relocated the rally, a decision praised by the Downtown Business Association of Charlottesville.
Kessler, backed by the Rutherford Institute and the ACLU, sued the City of Charlottesville and Jones on the basis of the First Amendment in US District Court for the Western District of Virginia. On the night of August 11, the night before the rally, Judge Glen E. Conrad issued an emergency order stating that unite the Right could proceed. Conrad gave the order to rally due to several factors: that Emancipation Park was the location for the Robert E. Lee statue that was planned to be deployed and that part of the rally, that resources would be needed in both parks for both. rallies and counterprotesters, and that the move to McIntire Park is due to the organizers' point of view and not the public safety. The court's decision was praised by the ACLU. Mayor Signer issued a statement saying: "While the City is disappointed with the decision tonight, we will obey the judge's decision...... Thomas's head, his team, and hundreds of law enforcement officers in our City will now turn their full attention to them. Downtown during the show tomorrow. "
Before the rally, counterprotesters obtained permission to gather at McGuffey Park and Justice Park, both less than a quarter mile away from the Emancipation Park rally. Charlottesville City Council Spokesman Miriam I. Dickler later stated that counterprotesters did not need permission to protest demonstrations at the Emancipation Park. After the rally, on August 17, the ACLU executive director announced that "the ACLU will no longer defend hate groups protesting with firearms".
August 11
Tensions increased on Friday night, August 11, when a group of white nationalists - with various numbers in the dozens or about 100 - marched through the campus of the University of Virginia while chanting slogans of Nazi and white supremacy, including "Living White is important"; "You will not replace us"; and "The Jews will not replace us". The phrase "you will not replace us", comes from a member of Evropa Identity in response to LaBeouf, RÃÆ'¶nkkÃÆ'¶ & amp; Turner HEWILLNOTDIVIDE.US project in New York at the beginning of 2017, has been reported by the Anti-Defamation League to "reflect the white supremacist world view that... the white race is destined to become extinct by the alleged ' 'supposedly controlled and manipulated by the Jews'. The Nazi slogan "Blood and Soil" is also used. This group consists mainly of whites, scores using a tiki torch. White nationalists marched from Nameless Field to The Lawn.
In Rotunda, the group meets counterprotesters next to Thomas Jefferson's statue. White nationalists surrounded a small group of protesters at the base of the statue, and fights ensued. Several people on both sides were reportedly exposed to pepper spray, and some people were treated for minor injuries. White nationalists began swinging and throwing their tiki torches in the midst of chaos. The Virginia State Police came to break the commotion.
Meanwhile, the pastor leads a Christian ecumenical prayer ministry and pre-planning intercession at St. Paul's Church on University Avenue in opposing the unite the Right rally.
The Cavalier Daily reported, "While waiting for the rides at Nameless Field after the parade, some 'right-right' protesters threw insult, homophobic and misogynous insults on some journalists and community members asking them questions. the man who asked the question was thrown to the ground and surrounded by demonstrators after a brief physical quarrel. "Mayor Michael Signer condemned the meeting, writing as follows:" When I think of candlelight I want to think about prayer in case Today, in 2017, we instead see a hateful parade of hatred, bigotry, racism, and cowardly intolerance. "
August 12
Protesters and counterprotesters gathered at the Emancipation Garden to anticipate the protests. White nationalist protesters again chanted white supremacist slogans and the Nazi era.
Some people raise the Confederate flag, and others hold posters targeting Jews who read "the goyim knows," use the word for non-Jews, and "the Jewish media will come down". Protesters also shouted racial and "Jewish" insults when Charlottesville's mayor Michael Signer was mentioned, and they waved Nazi flags and signs claiming, among other things, that "Jews are satan's children". Dozens wear Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign hat.
Counterprotest begins with interfaith cross-cutting groups that connect weapons, pray, and sing a song of peace, such as "This Little Light Mine". Later that day, counterprotesters shouted slogans including "Kill All Nazis" and "Nazi blows in the mouth". The Redneck Revolt armed left group posted on their website: "For the fascists and all that stand with them, we'll see you in Virginia." Harvard professor Cornel West, who organized several counter-demonstrators, said that a group of "20 of us standing, many of them priests, would have been destroyed like cockroaches if not for anarchist and anti-fascist approaches, over 300, 350 anti-fascist ". West states, "The neophases have their own ammunition, and it's important to remember, because most of the police are backing off."
Virginia allows the opening of firearms under state law; many armed demonstrators, including with semi-automatic weapons. This presents a great challenge for police at the scene. Many protesters and counterprotestors carry shields, sticks, and sticks, as well as body armor and helmets. Separately at the rally, Richard W. Preston, a self-identified emperor of the White Knight Confederation based in Maryland from the Ku Klux Klan, was caught in a video firing a gun into the ground toward Corey A. Long, an African-American protester carrying aerosol cans that light up. Preston was later found guilty of firing weapons within 1000 feet of school after pleading for no contest. Long was accused of minor offenses and disorderly conduct; he is awaiting trial.
DeAndre Harris, twenty years old, a former special education training assistant from Charlottesville, was beaten in a parking garage in an attack captured by photographs and video footage. The tape showed a group of six men hitting Harris with poles, metal pipes, and wooden plates. when Harris tried to get off the ground. He received head lacerations that required stitches, concussions, knee injuries, cracked wrists, and spinal cord injuries. The attack was investigated by Charlottesville police, with help from Virginia State Police and the FBI. Four people were arrested and accused of harming, committing a crime, in connection with the attack on Harris. Two of them, Alex Michael Ramos and Jacob Scott Goodwin, were convicted following a jury trial in Charlottesville. The third man, Daniel P. Borden, finally pleaded guilty. The fourth man, Tyler Watkins Davis, is awaiting trial.
Beginning in the morning, by midday the official rally, "protesters and counterprotesters face to face, kick, punch, throw water bottles and spread chemical spray against each other". An estimated 500 protesters and over a thousand counterprotesters are on the site. The Associated Press reports that "people throw strokes, scream, ignite smoke bombs, throw water bottles and chemical sprays"; some engaged in temporary combat "others darted around, trying to avoid chaos". At least 14 people were injured in street fights. After the rally, four arrest warrants for white supremacy Christopher Cantwell were expelled after Cantwell was charged by Virginia prosecutors with a severe criminal offense related to "illegal gas use, and injuries by caustic agents or explosions". Separately, The Hill journalist Taylor Lorenz says that he was hit by counterprotestors during the violence; a man was arrested the same day. The man later pleaded guilty to minor offenses and batteries; he received a suspended jail sentence and community service ordered in court.
At 11:00 local time, the city of Charlottesville declared a state of emergency, citing "the threat of civil disturbance, riots, potential injury to people, and the destruction of private and public property". An hour later, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency, stating: "It is now clear that public safety can not be maintained without additional strength, and that most-out-state protesters have come to Virginia to harm our citizens and property. I am sick of the hatred, bigotry and violence that protesters bring to our country. "
At about 11:40 am, just before the rally began, Virginia State Police announced the meeting was an unlawful encounter through a megaphone, and riot police cleared the scene. After this, the "hard core of about 100 right-wing protesters" moved to McIntire Park about 2 miles (3 km) away, where they gathered to hear the scheduled speakers for the "Unite The Right" event.
Assault vehicle and murder
After a canceled demonstration, at around 1:45 pm, a man drove his car into a crowd of protesters, hit some and slammed into a stop sedan, which hit a minivan that stopped in front of him. The impact of the collision pushed the sedan and minivan into the crowd. The man then turns the car through the crowd and runs away from the scene. One person was killed and 19 others injured in what police called a deliberate attack.
The clash occurred in a pedestrian mall on Water and Fourth streets, about four blocks from Emancipation Park 38Ã , Â ° 01? 46.17? N 78Ã, Â ° 28? 46.29? W ) . Heather D. Heyer, 32-year-old paralegal from Charlottesville, was seriously injured in the attack and was declared dead at the University of Virginia University Hospital. Video footage recorded on the scene by Brennan Gilmore shows the gray Dodge Challenger 2010 cruising into a crowd in a pedestrian mall, hitting people and sending them into the air, then retreating at high speed, hitting more people. The moment when the car was pushed into the crowd was captured in the video by the audience and in the aerial video footage taken by the drone. A photographer who was present at the scene said the car "crashed into a sedan and then went into the minivan, the body flies in. The people are frightened and screamed." Bystanders said it was "definitely a violent attack", according to The Guardian . Of the 19 injured victims, the University of Virginia Medical Center reported that five people were initially in critical condition. On the afternoon of August 14, ten patients had been discharged from the hospital, and the remaining nine patients were in good condition.
Shortly after the collision, James Alex Fields Jr., a 20-year-old from Ohio who reportedly had expressed sympathy for Nazi Germany during his time as a student at Cooper High School in Union, Kentucky, was arrested and charged with a second title of murder.
Fields has been photographed taking part in the rally, holding a shield decorated with the logo of Vanguard America, the white supremacist organization. The leaders of Vanguard America then declare that he is not a member and that "The shields seen do not show membership" because they are "freely given to anyone present." On August 14th, Fields was once again denied a guarantee. She is being held at Albemarle-Charlottesville County Regional Prison.
National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster and several US senators described attacks as alleged as domestic acts of terrorism as well as various commentators. In the late hours of August 12, US Attorney Jeff Sessions said the US Justice Department would open a civil rights investigation into the incident; federal investigators are investigating whether the suspect "crossed national borders for the purpose of violence". Then, Sessions says the call fulfills the definition of 'domestic terrorism' and it is 'an unacceptable evil attack'.
Heyer's mother says she wants Heather's name to be "a call to justice and equality and justice and compassion". The Heyer Memorial Ceremony was held at Charlottesville Paramount Theater on August 16; Heyer's mother spoke to hundreds of mourners, asking them to honor Heyer by acting against injustice and turning "anger into right action."
Separate GoFundMe pages prepared for the Heyer family and for those injured in the accident; the latter being hosted by the Anchorage vice-chairman of the American Democratic Socialist. The UVA Health Foundation makes funds for medical expenses "patients at UVA Medical Center and Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital who are injured and affected by this unwanted violence in our community".
Two motorists injured in a vehicle incident have sued the event organizer and driver.
Prosecution
Medan was charged with second-degree murder, three counts of dangerous injuries and failure to stop following an accident that resulted in death, and was held without guarantee. On August 18, Fields was charged with three additional charges of dangerous injuries and two additional dangerous injuries. The murder allegations were changed to first-degree murder on December 14th. The tapes were introduced as new evidence to increase the allegations including video from Red Pump Kitchen (an Italian restaurant) in the northeast corner of 4 and the Main and aerial recording of the Virginia State Police helicopter. Both videos were sealed by the chief prosecutor. The recorded helicopter is the same that fell later.
In January 2018, a court hearing was held where November 26, 2018 was designated as the date of the start of the Fields hearing. Trials are anticipated to take three weeks.
Fatal helicopter crash
At about 4:40 pm on August 12, Bell 407 helicopters belonging to the Virginia State Police rammed 7 miles (11 km) southwest of Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport, killing two Virginia state police on board. Lieutenant H. Jay Cullen, 48, from Midlothian, Virginia, and Berke M. M. Bates, 40, Troopers from Quinton, Virginia, are on their way to assisting public safety and security in the city. Accidents are being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and the Virginia State Police.
The initial NTSB report did not reveal the cause of the accident, but said the plane did not collide with anything like birds or other planes. He noted the same plane had crashed in 2010, but there is no known connection between the incident and this one. On September 5, the final report is expected to take 12-18 months to complete.
Aftermath and reactions
Criticism of police handling of rally
ACLU criticism, ProPublica report, and official responses
In the aftermath of rallies and cars crashing, some criticized police handling of protests. Claire GastaÃÆ' Â ± aga, executive director of Virginia ACLU, writes that "The situation is preventable" and the ACLU lawsuit, which resulted in federal courts giving orders that allow the rally to advance in the Emancipation Park, "do not cause me t". GastaÃÆ' Â ± aga writes that: "The lack of physical separation of protesters and street protesters contributes to the potential for violence. [Police] do not respond.In fact, law enforcement stands by passively, waiting for the violence to take place, so they will have reason to state the circumstances emergency, declared 'unlawful association' and cleared the area. "
On August 12, the ProPublica investigation news organization published an article reporting that the Virginia Police police and Charlottesville police "wore protective gear watching secretly behind a metal barricade" and allowed "white supremacists and counter-protesters to fight physical "without interference. AC Thompson writes that in "one of countless confrontations", the police watched passively as "a group of angry white supremacists formed a line of combat across a group of protesters, many of them older and gray, who had gathered in near a church, at the command of their leader, the youths accuse and strike their ideological enemies with a waiver, a woman is thrown onto the sidewalk, and the blood from her bruised head is immediately visible. "
Virginia officials defended police action. Governor Terry McAuliffe said the police were doing "extraordinary work" and, "We are unfortunately demanded by the ACLU, and the judges decide against us." The rally should not be in the center of the city: to disperse everyone from the park where they are scattered all over the street -the city street and it's a powder keg.We must do a better job of working with the courts.They need to listen to local municipal officials.... I'm angry that this was not transferred to McIntire Park where the city of Charlottesville was asked. "
Charlottesville Police Chief Al Thomas said that while he "regrets" about planning, police officers have sought to separate protesters and counterprotesters but can not do so effectively, in part because the "United Right" participants failed to follow the agreed-upon agreement. after the plan to enter the Emancipation Park: "We have a plan to bring them into the back of the park They have agreed to cooperate with the plan, unfortunately they did not follow the plan, they started entering different locations in and around the park. Thomas also wrote: "They also chose to leave the park on a number of occasions, enter areas devoted to counterprotesters, walk along the road and confront counter protesters." Thomas denied the implications by Virginia ACLU that the police were ordered not to intervene or arrest, saying "There is no direction from me or any other commander to back off or escape" and that "there is a certain amount of dispute throughout the area in which the officer intervened."
Heaphy Report
After rallies and criticism of police handling, the City of Charlottesville hired Timothy J. Heaphy, former US Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, to conduct an independent review of the unite the "Unite the Right" and two other supremacy events. in the city. City officials also "urged citizens to come forward with direct reports of neglected crimes".
On December 1, 2017, Heaphy and his law firm Hunton & amp; Williams LLP released a final report from their independent review. Detailed reports are very critical of handling city rallies. The report found that the Charlottesville Police Department had failed to prepare its events well, had a wrong response plan, and was poorly trained. The report also criticized the action by Charlottesville City Council, lawyers from the city and state, the University of Virginia and the Virginia State Police. The report specifically found that:
- Law enforcers fail to break a fight or take an active role in preventing fights and are instructed not to intervene except in the case of "extreme violence". This decision represents "a tremendous tactical failure that has real and lasting consequences". The police superintendent "drafted an unplanned plan that has hundreds of less ready-made officers.The execution of the plan improves the safety of officials on public safety".
- The Charlottesville Police and Virginia State Police failed to operate under unified command and did not even use the same radio channel.
- University of Virginia officials are aware of plans for a torch parade by white nationalists but "take no action to impose separation between groups or prevent violence".
Financial costs
Albemarle County, the City of Charlottesville and the University of Virginia and its medical centers collectively cost $ 540,000 from responding to the Ku Klux Klan rally in July 2017 and unite the Right rally in August 2017. Fees include overtime police and other fees, fees from the fire department and public works departments, legal fees, and expenses from crisis communications firms. Martha Jefferson Sentara Hospital, a private hospital, spent over $ 59,000.
Organizer response
On the evening of August 13, United Right Assemblyman Jason Kessler tried to hold a press conference in front of Charlottesville Town Hall, but was forced to leave the conference after being attacked by an angry mob. A man reportedly hit or tried to hit Kessler, and a woman handled Kessler when she tried to leave the scene. Police came to Kessler's help and escorted him from the area. Hundreds of people shouted "embarrassed" at Kessler and "said his name" (referring to Heather Heyer, the woman who was killed the day before). Before ending a brief press conference Kessler stated: "I deny political violence and what happened yesterday was tragic." He then posted an online video where he blamed the city for violence and death. A man was charged with a light attack and battery for allegedly spitting on Kessler during a press conference.
Speaking in an interview on the rally day, David Duke called the protest "a turning point for people in this country, we are determined to take back our country, we will fulfill Donald Trump's promises." Following Trump's initial comments made three days after the rally, the Duke tweeted, "Thank you, President Trump for your honesty and courage to tell the truth about #Charlottesville & condemn the leftist terrorist at BLM/Antifa."
Richard B. Spencer, who is scheduled to speak at the Unity Rights show, said he was not responsible for the violence, and he blamed the thugs and police.
Mass and protest
On August 13, a day after the protests, many groups organized vigils and demonstrations in a number of cities across the country for various purposes, including showing support for those who opposed white supremacy, encouraged the abolition of Confederate monuments, and denounced fascism. and acts and statements by the president of the United States.
In Brooklyn, demonstrators at the "Peace and Justice" meeting heard speeches from Public Advocate Letitia James and Town Superintendent Scott Stringer. In Los Angeles, hundreds of people gathered on the steps of City Hall to condemn white nationalist violence and honor those killed.
Thousands of anti-Trump demonstrators marched around the Trump Tower, with many shouting, "Shy, shy, embarrassed!" and "Lock Him!". In response, pro-Trump counterprotesters waving American flags and shouting "Make America White Again" at protesters, the game on the slogan of the Trump Make America campaign again.
The confrontation in the park continued on Tuesday, August 15, with counterprotestors demanding that a North Carolina man in a Confederate uniform hold a Confederate flag and a semi-automatic rifle leaving the park. When the police asked him if he wanted to leave, he said he would and was escorted to his vehicle.
Online response
The GoDaddy domain registrar demanded that The Daily Stormer move its website domain to another provider after editor Andrew Anglin described the car hit victim in derogatory terms. The Daily Stormer then moved to Google Domains on August 14th. Google unregistered the site for violating its terms of service more than 3 hours after The Daily Stormer registered for this service.
PayPal suspends accounts from right-wing extremist groups run by some rally organizers for violating the terms of the website service, which prohibit raising money for "activities that promote hatred, violence, or racial intolerance."
Anonymous hacktivist closed a number of sites associated with Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazi groups after the protests. The Alt-right Red Ice TV website is also hacked. In a video statement, they claimed that their coverage and support for the protests was the cause of cyber attacks. Discord servers frequented by alt-right elements are also lowered.
Before the suspect in the August 12 vehicle clash revealed, there was an online campaign by a right wing booth to identify the driver of the used car, "apparently in the hope of proving that person is not from right-wing political persuasion" and blaming a liberal for the attack. The right-wing news website GotNews and various other outlets misidentify innocent people as drivers; encouraging men and their families to receive a number of death threats and advice from local police to escape from their homes. The family sued GotNews and its editor, Charles C. Johnson, for defamation; Johnson and the website agreed to pay the wrong people identified nearly $ 30,000 to settle the lawsuit by 2018. The lawsuit continues against other right-wingers promoting false claims.
On Twitter, a group of users identifies nationalist or white supremacists from photos, publishing at least nine names and identities. After being identified as a demonstrator at a rally, one person resigned from his job at a hot dog stand in Berkeley, California. At least one identifiable case of identity is reported; a professor of engineering from the University of Arkansas received a threat message from a Twitter user who mistakenly assumed it for a man who looked similar in a rally wearing "Arkansas Engineering" t-shirts.
The short film produced by the US Department of War in 1943 entitled Do not Be a Sucker, containing anti-racist and anti-fascist themes, "found a new audience" and became a viral online video.
According to journalist Angela Nagle, the internet troll subculture on sites like 4Chan and Tumblr is changing as a result of the rally, as many people have seen subcultures as a game facing the reality of their true beliefs.
Political response
Before the rally, Senator Virginia, Tim Kaine expressed support for freedom of speech, but he condemned the rally.
In a later speech after the rally, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, flanked by Charlottesville mayor Michael Signer, and Charlottesville police chief, spoke directly to the meeting participants: "I have a message for all white and Nazi supremacists coming to Charlottesville today Our message is simple and simple... Go home... You are not wanted in this great commonwealth. "Signer said he was disgusted that white supremacy came to his city and he blamed President Donald Trump for inflaming racial tensions during his 2016 campaign, : "I'm not going to make a mistake about that.I put the blame for much of what you see in America today right at the door of the White House and the people around the president."
University of Virginia Political Center Director Larry J. Sabato, who lives in a university neighborhood and witnessed the march on August 11, said that the weekend was the darkest day at the university, stating: "I hope people will put it in context and understand that we have no control over the individuals who organize it, nor the people who show up.What we can control is our personal and institutional reaction to it.What I see is pure crime. "
The mayor of Atlanta, Kasim Reed, asked the city's flag to fly with half the staff, and signaled he wanted to change the name of Confederate Street.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel called the violence "horrible" and "evil" and said: "This is racial, extreme right and clear violence, strong action must be taken against it, wherever in the world it happens." German Justice Minister Heiko Maas also condemned violence, antisemitism, and neo-Nazi racism at a rally.
White House Strategy Chief Steve Bannon in his interview with Robert Kuttner, called the right wing "irrelevant" after Kuttner asked him about the "bad white nationalism symbolized by the racist violence in Charlottesville and the reluctance of Trump to condemn it." He quotes Bannon as saying, "Ethno-nationalism - it's a loser.This is a peripheral element.I think the media play it too much, and we have to help destroy it, you know, uh, help destroy it more... These guys are a collection of clowns. "
Religious response
The Secretary-General of the World Council of Churches, Olav Fykse Tveit, stated, "Terror and violence against peaceful people seeking justice in Charlottesville should be condemned by all... We are proud of the moral leadership by pastors and lay people who stand against this promotion. racism and white supremacy. "
The Presbyterian Church (USA), the United Methodist Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and the Orthodox Church in America, all of whom are members of the World Council of Churches, each individual condemns the unite the Right rally and racist ideology behind it, just as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Catholic Church.
The American Rabbinist Council, the Rabbinic Assembly and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, and the Union for Reform Judaism - representing American Orthodox, Conservative and Reformed Jews, respectively - all condemned the violent white and neo-Nazi supremacy in Charlottesville. Alan Zimmerman, president of the Beth Israel Congregation in Charlottesville, recalled the day's events in a blog post: "The fact that disaster did not happen to the Jewish community of Charlottesville on Saturday no thanks to our politicians, our police, or even our own efforts, the grace of God... But in the midst of it all other moments stand out for me, too... At least a dozen strangers who stop by the synagogue Saturday to ask if we want them standing with us.
Academic response
According to Princeton University historian Kevin M. Kruse, there is a historical "fake conformity" precedent to blame "both sides" in disputes over race relations. Kruse notes that segregationist politicians often equate white supremacists with civil rights movements, condemn KKK and NAACP. Various historians also question Trump's suggestion that those who call for the abolition of the Confederate monument will demand the removal of figures such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. The Harvard historian Annette Gordon-Reed and others noted that Washington and Jefferson were imperfect people famous for creating the United States, while the only historical meanings of Confederate figures such as Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis were that they went fighting against the United States to defend "the right of people to have others".
Other historians note that some people want Confederate monuments to move to museums where monuments can be contextually contextualized. Douglas A. Blackmon, senior fellow at Mill Mill of Public Affairs University of Virginia and author of books on slavery and consequently in the US told The Washington Post: "Trump also does not understand the history of the Confederacy or he sympathizes with a white nationalist view... [T] These statues allude to the millions of citizens he leads When you reach the point where there are groups of hatred involved in terrorist attacks, these statues are being adapted and used in a way ]... just bring [them] down. "
Antifa was criticized by Noam Chomsky, who described the group as "a small faction on the left margin [and] the ultimate prize to the right, including militant, vibrant rights".
Trump's Presidential Declaration
First statement
President Trump's first Charlottesville statement came Aug. 12, almost two hours after the raid, Trump spoke on camera from his home in Bedminster, New Jersey, saying: "We must all unite and condemn all that hatred.there is no place for such violence in America, let us together be one! "He said," we condemn in things that are perhaps the strongest of hateful looks, fanaticism, and violent violence on many sides, on many sides. " He added, "The important thing now is the quick restoration of law and order."
A Trump spokesman later released an addendum to his statement on Aug. 13, stating, "The president said strongly in his statement yesterday that he condemns all forms of violence, bigotry and hatred, including white supremacy, KKK Neo Nazi and all groups extremist. "He called for national unity and united all Americans." (The statement was rearranged after the initial version was released to the "neo-nazi" misconception media as "nephew-nazi".)
Trump's comments "many parties" were criticized for being insufficient by some members of Congress, both Democrats and Republicans.
While members of both political parties condemned white-national hatred and white-blooded violence, neo-Nazi and alt-right activists, The New York Times noted that Trump "is the only national political figure to spread accusations of ' Hatred, fanaticism and violence 'which resulted in the death of one person being' many parties', the decision reportedly came from White House Strategic Chief Steve Bannon.
The Congressional Black Caucas denounce what it sees as a false-dog misunderstanding and dog-whistle politics, saying "White supremacy is to blame." US Representative Justin Amash and Senator Cory Gardner, Jeff Flake, Orrin Hatch and Marco Rubio all called on Trump to specifically condemn white and neo-Nazi supremacy; in a tweet retweeted by Flake, Gardner said: "Mr. President - we must call evil by name, this is white supremacy and this is domestic terrorism." Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring said, "Violence, chaos, and loss of life in Charlottesville is not a 'many party' mistake, it is racist and white supremacy."
Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), whose brother was killed in action in Europe during World War II, tweeted: "We must call evil by name." My brother did not give his life against Hitler for the Nazi idea to unchallenged here. at home."
Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) called it "domestic terrorism" in a tweet, and a few hours later Republican Senator Ted Cruz wrote on Facebook, "Nazis, KKK, and white supremacy are disgusting and evil, and we all have a moral duty to speak out against the lies, the bigotry, the anti-Semitism, and the hatred they spread... [H] aving watching the dreadful video of a car accidentally crashing into a crowd of demonstrators, I urge the Justice Department to immediately investigate and prosecute this terrible act of domestic terrorism. "
Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke responded by saying that Trump should "look well in the mirror & remember that the White Americans are putting you in the presidency, not the leftist radical." Other white supremacists and neo-Nazis did not object to Trump's statement. The Stormer Editor Andrew Anglin says "Trump does the opposite of the cuck and refuses to mention anything related to us.When the journalists yelled at him about White Nationalism he just came out of the room."
The NAACP released a statement saying that while they "recognize and appreciate President Trump's denial of hatred that has resulted in the loss of lives today," they are calling Trump "to take concrete steps to get rid of Steve Bannon - a well-known white leader of supremacy - from his advisory team. "The statement further describes Bannon as" a symbol of white nationalism "that" energized the sentiment "through its current position within the White House.
Political scientist Larry Sabato, playwright Beau Willimon, conservative journalist David A. France, US Democratic Representative Ted Lieu and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi also called for Bannon's dismissal. Two former federal government attorneys, Vanita Gupta and Richard Painter, who worked in the governments of Barack Obama and George W. Bush respectively, asked Bannon and Assistant Deputy President Sebastian Gorka to be fired.
Bannon was fired on August 18, after an interview on the American Prospect, where he mocked the threat of Trump's military action against North Korea, and put his right-wing and government colleague, which the White House Assistant feels is likely to lure Trump; two unnamed administrative officials claimed that Trump had told senior officials about his decision to uproot Bannon that day, while White House correspondent Maggie Haberman wrote in The New York Times that "someone close to" Bannon claimed that Bannon had submitted his resignation on August 7, but the official announcement of his departure as chief strategist (which had taken place earlier that week) was delayed after the Charlottesville rally.
Gorka was sacked on August 25, after a dispute with other staff and a dispute with the government's strategy regarding the War in Afghanistan.
The Congressional Progressive Caucus and US Representative Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) asked Trump to dismiss Senior Advisor to President Stephen Miller alongside Bannon and Gorka, due to the nationalist ties alleged by Miller.
Second statement
On August 14, from the White House, President Trump said:
For anyone who acts criminally in racist violence this weekend, you will be held accountable. Justice will be delivered. [...] Evil racism. And those who cause violence in its name are criminals and criminals, including K.K.K., neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other disgusting hate groups for all we love as Americans.
Trump was reportedly reluctant to issue this statement, believing that his initial statement was sufficient, but he was persuaded to speak again by White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly.
Richard B. Spencer dismissed Trump's second statement as "hollow" and he also said that he believed Trump did not denounce the right movement or white nationalism. The South Carolina senator Tim Scott (one of three African Americans serving in the US Senate, and the only Republican of the three), also said that the second statement came too late; The editorial board of the Los Angeles Times wrote that "Trump's first response to Charlottesville was warm and laying, the latter being late."
NAACP Cornell president William Brooks said Trump's second statement sticks to the "minimum rhetoric" of criticism, and "gives the impression that the President is trying to have his hatred cake and eat it as well".
Trump then tweeted: "Making additional comments on Charlottesville and realizing once again that News Media #Fake will never be satisfied... really a bad guy!"
Third statement
On August 15, Trump appeared in front of the media from his home in Trump Tower in New York City, to give a ready statement about the state of US infrastructure and other economic problems. After reading his prepared statement, Trump picked up questions from media that asked many questions about the Charlottesville event. Trump defended the Aug. 12 statement and reiterated his claim that there was "blame on both sides". He also defended White House advisor Steve Bannon, and accused the media of unfair treatment of the participants of the rally. Trump said: "Not everyone is neo-Nazi, trust me, not all of them are white supremacy." Trump said that the urge to remove the Confederate statues was an attempt to "change history". Trump also says that there are "very good people on both sides". Trump criticized what he called "very, very rough... alt-left", and falsely claimed that counter-demonstrators had no permission. A municipal spokesman noted that counter-demonstrators have permission to two other nearby parks and "counterprotesters do not need permission to protest the rally" in the Emancipation Garden.
In an interview published the following day, Bannon said the press conference was "a defining moment" and that Trump chose to dispose of "globalists" and adapt himself to "his people". He said he was "proud of how [Trump] stood in the crowd of journalists".
More than 60 Democrats and Republicans from the US House of Representatives and the US Senate criticized Trump's statement. Among them are Senator Bernie Sanders, John McCain, Tim Scott, Susan Collins, Chuck Schumer, Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, Jeff Flake, Orrin Hatch, Heidi Heitkamp, ​​Claire McCaskill, Joe Manchin, Dean Heller and Tammy Duckworth, and House members Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, Don Beyer, Barbara Comstock, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Will Hurd and Gerry Connolly, and Ohio Governor John Kasich and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. Home Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said, "The president's continuing words of mistakes 'on many sides' ignore the terrible crimes of white supremacy..." House Speaker Paul Ryan stated, "We must be clear: white supremacy is disgusting. with all these countries, there is no moral ambiguity. "
Former presidents George HW Bush and George W. Bush stated that "America must always reject racial, anti-Semitism and hatred in all its forms." When we pray for Charlottesville, we are reminded of the fundamental truth recorded by the city's most prominent citizens in the Declaration of Independence: we are all created equally and blessed by our Creator with irrevocable rights We know this truth to be eternal because we have seen the politeness and greatness of our country. "
On August 16, New York's Jerrold Nadler Representative, Pramila Jayapal of the State of Washington and Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey announced a resolution that three House Democrats fabricate, which would denounce Trump for "its inadequate response to violence" "Failure to promptly and specifically mention and condemn the white supremacist group responsible for acts of domestic terrorism", and to hire chief strategist Steve Bannon and Sebastian Gorka's national security aides despite their "relationship to the white supremacy movement".
Criticism of commentary also extends to the business world; among others, 21st Century Fox CEO James Murdoch said in an email to friends obtained by The Hollywood Reporter , "[W] hat we watched last week in Charlottesville and the reaction by the president of the United States paid attention to us all as Americans and free men.This event reminds us all why the vigilance of hatred and bigotry is an enduring obligation - the discipline necessary for the preservation of our way of life and our ideals. "Murdoch also promised a $ 1 million Donation to the Anti-Pollution League, urging his friends to also contribute. (Murdoch's remarks drew some criticism from media columnists, including Jennifer Rubin and Erik Wemple, who have accused the Fox News Channel of helping to bring Trump into the mainstream of politics and his repeated plea for his government and perpetuating the culture of exploiting female employees and using dog whistle comments on his opinion programs.)
The fall of the third statement causes a new call to Trump to resign or be removed from office either through impeachment or through prayer Section 4 of 25 Amendments to the Constitution. In a Twitter post Aug. 15, Democratic Representative Jackie Speier of California suggested that a previously unused portion of the 25th Amendment (which allows vice presidents and the majority of cabinets or other bodies such as Congress to declare that the President can not renounce power and office duties) are called to remove Trump. However, on August 22, in an interview with Matt Lauer on Today Show, Vice President Mike Pence eagerly supported Trump, saying partly:
I know this president. I know his heart... I heard it. I heard it on the day when the tragedy of Charlottesville occurred when he denounce hatred and violence in all its forms from wherever he came. I heard it on Monday, and I heard it also on Tuesday as millions of Americans did where he condemned the hatred and bigotry proved there. He condemns the violence there and we will continue to do that. We understand that criticism comes with this work, and this president has a broad shoulder type to be able to take it.
Democratic Republican Steve Cohen of Tennessee announced on Aug. 17 that he would introduce impeachment articles to President Trump for his remarks at a press conference, stating that Trump had "failed a presidential examination of moral leadership." Arnold Schwarzenegger made an online video criticizing Trump's statement and presented a speech condemning the racists and stating Trump should say such a thing.
In an August 18 interview with ABC Good Morning America, Heather Heyer's mother, Susan Bro, stated that she has not "and now... will not" meet President Trump after hearing about her statement. Bro said, "I'm not talking to the president right now, I'm sorry, after what he said about my child, not that I saw someone else's tweet about him I saw the actual clip about him at a press conference that likened the protesters, Ms. Heyer, with KKK and white supremacy. "
The impact of this statement also caused a new call for Trump to be stripped of the honor it won before his presidency. Prior to the SummerSlam event that weekend, protesters outside the Barclays Center called for the removal of Trump from the WWE Hall of Fame. In addition, the petition to deprive Trump of an honorary law degree from Lehigh University by recent graduates became viral after his comments, earning more than 25,000 signatures. Trump was previously stripped of an honorary degree from Robert Gordon University in Scotland in 2015. If he loses his title from Lehigh, Trump will have only three honors remaining; two from Liberty University and one from Wagner College. A number of Liberty University alumni announced their intention to return their diplomas to university in response to continued support from university president Jerry Falwell, Jr. over Trump.
In the days following the August 15 statement of Trump, The Economist , The New Yorker , and Der Spiegel ran cover art depicting Trump wear or interact. with KKK hood.
Additional controversy resulted from a Facebook post by Missouri State Senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal in which she commented, "I hope Trump is killed!" in response to the president's comments. In apologizing for the statement, Chapple-Nadal told The Kansas City Star that he posted the comments in frustration at the "trauma and despair" of Trump's statement about the Charlottesville rally. The post, which he removed shortly after posting but not before it was released online, led several state and national politicians, including US Sen. Claire McCaskill and House Representative Lacy Clay, to call for his resignation; State Attorney Joshua Peters also sent letters to the President of the Senate President for the time being. Tom Dempsey (chair of the Missouri Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics Committee) requested that the special committee consider Chappelle-Nadal's "condemnation or dismissal" from his post. Missouri State Senator Gina Walsh (leader of the country's Democratic Caucus Senate) announced on 22 August that Chapple-Nadal had been removed from all committee duties, commenting that the controversy had made him a "nuisance" for senators.
Fourth statement
Donald Trump further defended his earlier remarks at a Phoenix, Arizona general meeting on August 22, 2017. He then accused people of "trying to take our culture" in connection with the removal of the Confederate statue.
"Does anyone want a statue of George Washington to come down? No, sad, is it sad? For Lincoln for Teddy Roosevelt I see they want to bring Teddy Roosevelt down too They try to figure out why, they do not" They know. They try to take our culture, they try to take our history. And our weak leaders, they did it overnight. "
Resignation from and dissolution of the presidential advisory board
Kenneth Frazier, CEO of Merck, resigned from the US President's Manufacturing Council on August 14, in response to the President's response to the protests. Trump quickly responds by attacking
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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