On July 11, white nationalist Jason Kessler held a press conference in front of the Charlottesville Police Department. Flanked by bikers from the Warlocks Motorcycle Club, he spoke about his “Unite the Right” rally scheduled for August 12.
“Nothing against any other people, against Muslims, against Blacks, whomever, but they have entire continents in which they can inhabit,” said Kessler. “And they have places where their culture and their bloodlines are secure. In the United States we are being replaced.”
According to the event’s Facebook page, the rally seeks to “unify the right-wing against a totalitarian Communist crackdown.”
‘Unite the Right’ Event Detail
Kessler is the founder of Unity and Security for America, an advocacy group which espouses white nationalism through the lens of defending western civilization. Their core ideology is one that demonizes immigration as an assault on American values and espouses the infallibility of western culture.
Groups like Kessler’s have distanced themselves from the more recognizable hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan. Opting for a more nuanced approach, this kind of emerging nationalist identity politics is xenophobic, racist, anti-Semitic, and is rapidly becoming the new frontline for white supremacists.
He is also affiliated with the Charlottesville chapter of the Proud Boys, another white nationalist organization established by estranged VICE founder Martin Gavin McInnes. Speculation also continues on whether or not Richard Spencer, President of the alt-right National Policy Institute, who led a torch-lit vigil in front of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in May, will also be in attendance.
This event in August follows closely after last weekend’s KKK rally in what Black Lives Matter activists are now calling the ‘Summer of Hate” – this will be the third white nationalist rally in as many months in Charlottesville.
‘Unite the Right’ Event Poster
It is estimated that close to 400 people will be in attendance, far out numbering the total number of Klansmen who attended last week’s rally. Activist networks throughout Virginia have vowed to counter-protest and the event will have a heavy police presence. Charlottesville has become a flashpoint for white nationalist rallies since the city’s announcement that they will remove the statues of Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.
Stay tuned to RVA Mag for our continuing coverage of this event and our reporting on white nationalism in Virginia. Follow us on Instagram (@rvamag) and join our conversation on Facebook.
