Charlottesville

Beaten Charlottesville Protester Sues Over Deliberate Police Inaction

September 7, 2017 Brandi Buchman, www.mintpressnews.com Resist! Charlottesville, Lawsuit, Police, Protests

By Brandi Buchman for Mint Press News - Aman who says he was pepper-sprayed, doused with urine and beaten with canes during the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, has sued the city and state police chiefs, claiming their officers purposefully stood down during the violence. Robert Sanchez Turner, 33, brought the federal complaint on Aug. 31 against Charlottesville, its Police Chief Al Thomas Jr., and State Police Superintendent Col. W. Steven Flaherty. Turner claims Thomas’s denial of a stand-down order “rings hollow in front of hundreds of witnesses and victims.” “In fact, a confidential memo dated Thursday, August 24 to city manager Maurice Jones … demanded an explanation for the ‘apparent unwillingness of officers to directly intervene during overt assaults captured in many videos,” the complaint states. This failure to step in is “even more outrageous” Turner says, as just three days before the violence, the Department of Homeland Security issued a warning to the Charlottesville Police Department. In the warning, the DHS said that a gathering of white supremacists would most likely spark a violent clash between Nazi sympathizers and counter-protesters.

Video: Gun Fired At Charlottesville Rally As Police Stand By

August 28, 2017 Emily Wells, www.truthdig.com Educate! Charlottesville, Police, Racism

By Emily Wells for Truth Dig - The New York Times has released a video showing a white nationalist supporter opening fire near a crowd of counterprotesters during an Aug. 12 rally in Charlottesville, Va., while law enforcement officers on the scene made no movement to stop him. The rally generated international headlines when counterprotester Heather Heyer died after being run down by an automobile, but the video is the first depiction of gunfire at the event. The violence documented in the New York Times is consistent with Michael Nigro’s firsthand eyewitness account for Truthdig: “The police are going to incite a race riot,” Hawk Newsome, president of Black Lives Matter New York, told me in the middle of an early afternoon skirmish. And he was right; their inaction helped create conditions for the violence that ensued. At one point, fights broke out in front of the Charlottesville police station, where at least a dozen officers stood by the entrance doing nothing but watching like hockey referees during a brawl. Metal poles were used to beat protesters, and the police stood by.

Charlottesville Coalition To March 10 Days To DC

August 28, 2017 Jessica Corbett, www.commondreams.org Resist! Charlottesville, Protests, Racism, Washington DC, White Supremacy

By Jessica Corbett for Common Dreams - "We are answering the call from faith and community leaders in Charlottesville to dismantle white supremacy in our country by taking their demand for moral leadership to Washington D.C.," declares the group's website, which features details about their march route, and their plans to launch a wave of actions in Washington. "We know that this is a very dangerous moment in our nation's history, a moment that requires action. We are marching to D.C. in the spirit of love, equity, and justice like those before us did in the face of hatred and oppression," the march organizers said in a statement. "We will demand our country reckon with its long history of white supremacy, that our nation's leadership side with those of us who will no longer abide it, and we call for the removal of all those, including the president, who refuse to do so," organizers also said. In D.C., they plan to engage in "a sustained civil disobedience campaign," and demand that President Donald Trump be removed from office. Their demands echo growing support for impeachment and suspicions that Trump will resign that began surfacing even before he repeatedly blamed the deadly violence in Charlotteville "on both sides," instead of unequivocally condemning the white supremacists.

To Make Fun Of Nazis, Look To Charlie Chaplin

August 27, 2017 Kevin Hagopian, www.theconversation.com Resist! Adolf Hitler, Charlottesville, Humor, Nazis

By Kevin Hagopian for The Conversation. White nationalists and neo-Nazis are having their moment. Former Ku Klux Klan Imperial Wizard David Duke is back, yet again, in the media spotlight, while newer figures such as white supremacist Richard Spencer and Christopher Cantwell are broadcasting their views via social media feeds and niche internet channels. Many Americans are wondering if this resurgent movement should be ignored, feared or fought. What, exactly, is the best antidote for neo-Nazism? What about laughter? While the August 12 violence in Charlottesville, Virginia was no joke, the images of armor-clad, tiki-torch-wielding white nationalists did give fodder to late-night talk show hosts and editorial cartoonists.

Charlottesville To Palestine: Still N****, Still Arab

August 23, 2017 Miko Peled, www.ahtribune.com Educate! Charlottesville, Nationalism, Palestine, Racism

By Miko Peled for American Herold Tribune - I'll never forget the first time I heard JayZ's "The Story of OJ." I got into a Lyft and the driver, a young black man was playing music when this song came on. "That is powerful!" I blurted uncontrollably. "It’s the most powerful Rap song I've ever heard" the young man replied. He then played it over and over again and we were both swept into a conversation about racism in America and how little most people know and how little people care. I'm just back from Jerusalem and as I write these words I can't help notice the similarities between the US and Israel - what some like to call the "shared values" of these two countries. Both are brutal, unapologetically racist, settler colonialist regimes, thriving under the guise of liberal democracies. All oppressed people have one thing in common: a desire to live normal lives, to be part of society to and enjoy the benefits that society offers the privileged. But in racist societies that is not possible. Racist societies want to rid themselves of the other, and no matter how hard that "other" might try, the other will never belong, he and she will always remain a nigger, a dirty Arab, or whoever else that other may be. That is why there is resistance. That is also why the systems of oppression are so afraid of anything that might legitimize the call for justice by the other.

The Guns Won

August 22, 2017 Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern, www.slate.com Educate! Charlottesville, First Amendment, Guns, Second Amendment

By Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern for Slate - When U.S. District Judge Glen E. Conrad rejected Charlottesville, Virginia’s attempt to relocate Saturday’s white nationalist rally, he wrote that “merely moving [the] demonstration to another park will not avoid a clash of ideologies” between demonstrators and counter-protesters. He also acknowledged that “a change in the location of the demonstration would not eliminate the need for members of the City’s law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services personnel to appear at Emancipation Park. Instead, it would necessitate having personnel present at two locations in the City.” As it turned out, the nightmare that unfolded on Saturday in this small college town involved a great deal more than an ideological clash and demanded far more police protection than was available. Dozens of white nationalists showed up toting semi-automatic weapons, as did some counter-protesters, making it all but impossible for police to intervene when violence erupted. In short order, peaceful protesters were forced to hide as armed rioters attacked one another with clubs, smoke bombs, and pepper spray.

Is Ryan Kelly’s Iconic Photograph An American ‘Guernica’

August 19, 2017 Jennifer Wenzel, www.theconversation.com Educate! Charlottesville, Racism, White Supremacy

By Jennifer Wenzel for The Conversation - On August 12, Charlottesville Daily Progress photographer Ryan M. Kelly captured the exact moment that Nazi sympathizer James Alex Fields, Jr. drove his Dodge Challenger into a crowd of counterprotesters, injuring 19 and killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer. It’s probably the most enduring image to emerge from the weekend of “Unite the Right” rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia. At first glance, Kelly’s photograph is nearly impossible to make sense of visually or politically. Cars are not supposed to drive into pedestrians; fellow citizens are not supposed to kill each other over political differences. And there’s so much in the frame of the image – so many figures and forms crowded together, most only partially visible – that you can’t take it in all at once. Pablo Picasso’s 1937 iconic mural “Guernica” might teach us how to interpret this image more closely, and why it is important to do so. Like Kelly’s photograph, “Guernica” conveys a moment of terror through a jumble of forms and fragments that seem to make no sense. In April 1937, a different sort of “Unite the Right” moment took place in fascist Europe during the destruction of Guernica.

Protesters Illuminate Charlottesville During Candlelight Vigil At UVA

August 18, 2017 Carla Herreria and Ryan J. Reilly, www.huffingtonpost.com Create! Charlottesville, Racism, Vigil, White Nationalism

By Carla Herreria and Ryan J. Reilly for The Huffington - CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. ― A new light illuminated Charlottesville on Wednesday, when thousands of people assembled on the University of Virginia campus for a candlelight vigil. The peaceful gathering was in protest of the weekend violence that broke out after white supremacists stormed the campus with Tiki torches. Demonstrators on Wednesday swayed with their candles as they sang, “This Little Light of Mine” and the American classic “This Land Is Your Land.” At one point, people chanted, “Love wins!” After the vigil ended, a group chanted, “Black Lives Matter.” Brandy Mokhtar, a Richmond resident who graduated from UVA in 1996, said she felt “compelled” to be a part of the candlelight vigil. She said she wanted to help “cleanse and wash away all the hatred that was spread across the grounds.” Mokhtar said UVA is “a very safe place,” where violence is out of place. Mokhtar, who is black, said the school had its share of controversies during her time, but UVA responded well and she had a wonderful college experience.

From Charlottesville With Resolve + Indigenous Youth Paddle To Protect

August 18, 2017 Eleanor Goldfield, www.occupy.com Educate! Charlottesville, Indigenous Peoples, Pipelines, Racism

By Eleanor Goldfield for Occupy - This week on Act Out!, a special episode to discuss what happened last weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia. Note: we will not show the video. Next, we take a look at an old decaying pipeline, a brand new one and the company that craves more land and water for the sake of black gold. We talk with two indigenous youth activists standing up to the company and taking to the water to raise awareness and build resistance: Stop Line 3 and Paddle to Protect. From tweets to marching in the streets, this is Act Out!

Stop White Nationalist Efforts To ‘Unite The Right’

August 18, 2017 Shane Burley and Alexander Reid Ross, www.wagingnonviolence.org Strategize! Charlottesville, Fascism, Racism, White Nationalism, White Supremacy

By Shane Burley and Alexander Reid Ross for Waging Nonviolence - The city of Charlottesville, Virginia has become a flashpoint for the neo-fascist movement in the United States. Comprised of neo-Confederates, open Nazis, self-described “white identitarians,” and Traditionalists, this fascist movement is mobilizing for a “Unite the Right” protest on August 12 to stop the renaming of parks and removal of Civil War monuments. Initially permitted for Emancipation Park, formerly known as Lee Park, where the statue of Robert E. Lee is slated for removal, Charlottesville officials decided on Monday to move the Unite the Right protest to McIntire Park instead. The American Civil Liberties Union has announced that it will join the Albemarle County-based Rutherford Institute in representing Unite the Right leader Jason Kessler to officially oppose the location change, despite city officials’ concerns regarding health and safety. Unite the Right organizers promise the rally will be held at Emancipation Park regardless. Although Unite the Right bills itself as a populist coalition of conservative forces opposing the destruction of the South and its legacy, the group’s organizers are open about their extremist beliefs.

Racists Look Emboldened. They’re Actually Terrified.

August 17, 2017 Olivia Alperstein, www.otherwords.org Educate! Charlottesville, Fascism, Racism, White Nationalism

By Olivia Alperstein for Other Words - The act of terrorism that killed one person and injured others in Charlottesville, Virginia was horrific. There will be more days like these. Angry, cowardly, fear-mongering white supremacists have been emboldened by a president they see as the last great hope for the purity of the white race. They came for Charlottesville intent on hate and destruction. They were met instead with an outpouring of humanity from around the nation. We stand united against hatred and bigotry, and we stand on the right side of history. They are taking to the street with Tiki torches against the tide of equality. They want to strike fear into our hearts, but it is they who are afraid of a better world. I have bad news for these people, including the young man who intentionally plowed his vehicle into a crowd of innocent people. See, we’ve had dark moments in our history, when people were enslaved and dehumanized: Not to give away too much for those who aren’t familiar with our history, but the arc of the universe has bent towards justice. We’ve had the Civil Rights Movement, the Voting Rights Act, many marches on Washington. We’ve had boycotts, protests, rallies, and sit-ins. We’ve had Supreme Court cases and constitutional amendments. The symbols that white supremacists march with represent failed political movements like the Confederacy and Nazism.

DC Responds To Charlottesville Racist Terror Attack

August 17, 2017 John Zangas, www.dcmediagroup.us Resist! Charlottesville, Neo-Nazis, Racism, White Nationalism, White Supremacy

By John Zangas for DC Media Group - Washington, DC — A rally was held at the White House on Monday, organized by two college students, in response to the Charlottesville terror attack on anti-racist protesters. Many self-identified members of antifa, a loosely affiliated organization of anti-racist, anti-supremacist activists, rallied with them. About 500 gathered for the open mic rally. Organizers Olivia Moulton and Patty Pablo invited people of color and marginalized groups to speak about their experiences with White supremacy. “We realized we had to do something. We couldn’t just sit around,” said Moulton, a sophomore at a local community college. “We want to create a safe space for people to vocalize how they feel.” Pablo gave priority to minority voices in the crowd. She urged everyone to listen closely to the speakers with an open mind and learn from them how racism affects and marginalizes their communities. Speakers condemned the Charlottesville Unite the Right rally and subsequent terror attack by a White supremacist on the anti-racist protest march which began after the White supremacists and neo-Nazis left. They also rebuked President Trump for his two-day delay in condemning the attack. A speaker, who identified herself as Reykia, said that her experiences with racism had been ongoing throughout her life. “Lady Gaga is using the hashtag #thisisnotus but it is completely incorrect. It is us in all types of ways. This is our America. Learn it and accept it,” she said. “This is us until we change it.”

Story Of Charlottesville Written In Blood In The Ukraine

August 17, 2017 Ajamu Baraka, www.blackagendareport.com Educate! Charlottesville, Neo-Nazis, Ukraine, White Nationalism, White Supremacy

By Ajamu Baraka for Black Agenda Report - What is the character of racist right-wing politics today? Is it the crazed white supremacist who plows into an anti-fascist demonstration in Charlottesville, Virginia, or can it also be the assurance by Lindsay Graham that an attack against North Korea would result in thousands of lives lost…. but those lives will be “over there”? What about the recent unanimous resolution by both Houses of Congress in support of Israel and criticism of the United Nations for its alleged anti-Israeli bias? Would that qualify as racist and right-wing, since it appears that the ongoing suffering of the Palestinians is of no concern? And what about the vote by the U.S. House of Representatives to go even beyond the obscene proposal of the Trump administration to increase the military budget by $54 billion dollars and instead add a whopping $74 billion to the Pentagon budget? What I find interesting about the current discussion around what many are referring to as the emboldening of the radical white supremacist right is how easy it is to mobilize opposition against the crude and overt white supremacists we saw in Charlottesville. So easy, in fact, that it’s really a distraction from the more difficult and dangerous work that needs to be done to confront the real right-wing power brokers.

Interview With De’Andre Harris: Beaten By White Supremacists

August 15, 2017 Zach D. Roberts, www.nationofchange.org Resist! Charlottesville, Racism, White Supremacy

By Zach D. Roberts for Nation of Change - But then there’s the tear gas… And the home made weapons… And the real weapons, like AR-15’s and Glock 9mm’s… None of that would be allowed into the San Diego Comic Con. But here I am in the middle of a park named after a guy that fought for the right of Southerners to keep human beings as slaves, and there are a couple hundred people screaming about why this statue needs to stay. They’re claiming that its removal is all part of a plan to erase the history of the white people…NationofChange is a nonprofit organization, and this website is funded by readers like you. Please support our work. Donate or give monthly. I’m white, and that’s not my history. But if it was, I’d WANT it erased, or at least not memorialized. Less than three hours later I would witness something that I hoped was left in the waste bin of American history: In this ‘post-racial’ America I witnessed De’Andre Harris, a young black man, kicked and beaten nearly to death by racist goons.

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