Unite the Right rally

Unite the Right rally
Name	Unite the Right rally
Date	August 11-12, 2017
Location	Charlottesville, Virginia

Unite the Right rally. The rally was a white nationalist and white supremacist event that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, from August 11 to 12, 2017, and was organized by Jason Kessler, a Virginia-based white nationalist and alt-right activist, in association with Richard Spencer, a prominent figure in the alt-right movement, and Matthew Heimbach, the founder of the Traditionalist Worker Party. The event was initially planned to protest the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue from Emancipation Park in Charlottesville, Virginia, and drew participation from various groups, including the Ku Klux Klan, the National Socialist Movement, and the League of the South. The rally was also supported by Mike Peinovich, a neo-Nazi and white nationalist podcaster, and Augustus Sol Invictus, a Florida-based white nationalist and Libertarian Party activist.

Background

The Unite the Right rally was preceded by a series of events and protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, including a torchlight march on the University of Virginia campus, led by Richard Spencer and Matthew Heimbach, and a Ku Klux Klan rally in Justice Park, which was met with counter-protests from Black Lives Matter and Antifa activists, including Cornel West and DeRay Mckesson. The removal of the Robert E. Lee statue was also opposed by the Sons of Confederate Veterans and the United Daughters of the Confederacy, who argued that it was a part of Southern heritage and American history. The event was also influenced by the 2016 United States presidential election and the rise of the alt-right movement, which was supported by figures such as Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, and Alex Jones.

Organization and participants

The Unite the Right rally was organized by a coalition of white nationalist and white supremacist groups, including the Nationalist Front, the Traditionalist Worker Party, and the League of the South, with support from neo-Nazi and anti-Semitic groups, such as the National Socialist Movement and the Daily Stormer. The event drew participation from prominent figures in the alt-right movement, including Richard Spencer, Matthew Heimbach, and Mike Peinovich, as well as from Ku Klux Klan leaders, such as David Duke and Jeff Schoep. The rally was also attended by Oath Keepers and Three Percenters, two militia groups that have been involved in various right-wing and anti-government protests, including the Bundy standoff and the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupation.

The rally

The Unite the Right rally began on August 11, 2017, with a torchlight march on the University of Virginia campus, led by Richard Spencer and Matthew Heimbach, and continued on August 12, 2017, with a rally in Emancipation Park, which was met with counter-protests from Black Lives Matter and Antifa activists, including Cornel West and DeRay Mckesson. The event featured speeches from prominent figures in the alt-right movement, including Richard Spencer, Matthew Heimbach, and Mike Peinovich, as well as from Ku Klux Klan leaders, such as David Duke and Jeff Schoep. The rally was also attended by Virginia-based white nationalist and alt-right activists, including Jason Kessler and Christopher Cantwell.

Violence and aftermath

The Unite the Right rally was marked by violence and clashes between white nationalist and white supremacist groups and counter-protesters, including Black Lives Matter and Antifa activists, resulting in the death of Heather Heyer and injuries to dozens of others. The event was widely condemned by politicians and public figures, including Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama, and led to a nationwide debate about hate speech and domestic terrorism. The rally also led to the arrest of several prominent figures in the alt-right movement, including Christopher Cantwell and Augustus Sol Invictus, and the banning of several white nationalist and white supremacist groups from social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter.

Reactions and consequences

The Unite the Right rally was widely condemned by politicians and public figures, including Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama, and led to a nationwide debate about hate speech and domestic terrorism. The event also led to the resignation of several business leaders from Donald Trump's advisory councils, including Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier and Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, and the cancellation of several alt-right and white nationalist events, including the Patriot Prayer rally in San Francisco, California. The rally also led to the creation of several anti-hate and anti-racist organizations, including the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League, and the launch of several investigations into white nationalist and white supremacist groups, including the FBI's investigation into the Ku Klux Klan.

Legacy

The Unite the Right rally has had a lasting impact on American politics and society, highlighting the growing threat of white nationalism and white supremacy in the United States. The event has also led to a renewed focus on hate speech and domestic terrorism, with several bills and resolutions introduced in Congress to address these issues, including the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act and the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The rally has also been the subject of several books and documentaries, including Shannon Watts's One School and DeRay Mckesson's On the Other Side of Freedom, and has been referenced in several songs and albums, including Kendrick Lamar's DAMN. and J. Cole's KOD. The event has also been commemorated by several memorials and monuments, including the Heather Heyer Memorial in Charlottesville, Virginia, and has been recognized as a hate crime by several organizations, including the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League.

Category:Riots and civil disorder in the United States