"If we can show up to defend ourselves against white supremacy, we should be able to come together to empower our communities to take back what we're entitled to as black people," she said. Apart from making white nationalists uncomfortable in " Chocolate City," Neenee Taylor and her co-organizers also wanted to send a message to their own communities: The real work against white supremacy happens locally every day-and this counter-rally was just an extension of that work. In Ku Klux Klan demonstrations in 1925, more than 25,000 hooded members showed up who were reportedly welcomed by many white residents of then-segregated Washington.įor the local Black Lives Matter chapter, showing up to oppose the Unite the Right 2 rally as a part of the Shut It Down DC coalition wasn't just about this protest. But there was a time in the 1920s when D.C., too, was less willing to challenge white nationalist movements. In fact, if the number of counter-protesters in Washington had turned out in Charlottesville last year (a significantly smaller city), they would have significantly outnumbered the hundreds of Unite the Right representatives there. Washingtonians deployed similar strategies in 1982, 1990, and 1999, when white supremacist turnout in the double-digits was overwhelmed by opponents. "But having the numbers to oppose their ideology is the better tactic." resident and an organizer with the International Socialist Organization, which brought contingents from D.C., Baltimore, and New York. "I understand the urge to punch Nazis," said Scott McLemee, a D.C. Other anti-fascist and socialist organizations emphasized a non-violent approach. But even among them, some viewed the best case scenario as the white nationalists being "too intimidated by our numbers" to make it to Lafayette Park. At one point, they burned a Confederate flag, its black smoke wafting up above H Street. Some antifa factions had clearly come prepared to oppose. "To say wherever you go, wherever you try to come and bring your message, you will be opposed, and you will be outnumbered." "We need to confront them directly," he said. There, activist Eugene Puryear reminded protesters how a "Free Speech" rally in Boston was dismantled last year by a flood of counter-protesters that overshadowed white supremacists almost 800 to one. Local and nationally based activists from Act Now to Stop War and End Racism ( ANSWER) Coalition had set up in the park as early as 8 a.m. Some wore body armor and carried wooden shields. A large contingent of militant antifa trudged around the square, clad in black, faces masked and hooded. Local queer groups a lso arrived dancing. "On the other hand, we're aiming to demonstrate just how different Washington is from this hateful ideology."Īs they marched into Lafayette Park to greet Unite the Right, the local Black Lives Matter members danced to Childish Gambino's "This Is America," and yelled out their slogans. resident, who helped put together the Shut It Down DC coalition. "On the one hand we're expressing our absolute denial of the legitimacy of a group like this to march through our city," said Mark Lance, a longtime organizer and D.C. They all had different priorities and tactics, but a shared goal emerged: to drown out the ideology of the white nationalists in town through their sheer numbers, and the volume of their collective voices. Neither Kessler, his legal team, nor the city were available for comment when asked by the local newspaper.Thousands of counter-protesters from all corners of the city-and beyond-showed up. No hearing date has been set, per the Daily Progress. He is also asking for a “temporary restraining order and/or preliminary injunction enjoining Defendants to permit the demonstration to go on as planned," according to the complaint. Kessler is seeking compensation and a judgment stating the city violated his First Amendment and 14th Amendment rights by opposing his application. Fields was later charged with second-degree murder and now faces up to life in prison. Heather Heyer was killed when James Alex Fields, who had ties to white supremacists, rammed his car into a group counterprotesting the event. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson in the parks. The rally in 2017 was prompted by the city's decision to rename Lee and Jackson parks Emancipation and Justice parks, respectively, as well as remove statues of Confederate Gens. 11-12 because it would “present a danger to public safety,” per the Charlottesville Daily Progress. Kessler filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday against Charlottesville and City Manager Maurice Jones that argues his First Amendment rights were violated when the city rejected his request to host a demonstration at Emancipation Park on Aug. Jason Kessler, the organizer of the Unite the Right rally that turned deadly in Charlottesville, Va., is suing the city for denying him a permit to hold an anniversary event in August, according to a report.
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