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White Nationalists Are Still Winning

Landon Shroder | August 9, 2018

Topics: anti-fascism, Anti-Racism, Charlottesville, fascism, journalism, Unite the Right, virginia, Washington DC, white supremacy

One year has gone by since James Fields, Jr. killed Heather Heyer and wounded 30 others at Unite the Right in Charlottesville last August, the largest gathering of white supremacists and fascists in decades. 

Since then, nothing has changed. In fact, things have gotten worse. After the tragedy, there were signs of encouragement that reduced some of the shock. The strong showing of anti-fascists, anti-racists, and the faith-based community in confronting white supremacy on the streets of Charlottesville was heartening, even if many of us believed that this kind of event would be a one-time occurrence. 

Faith Based Community Confronting White Supremacist

Unfortunately, that feeling was short-lived. The next day, President Trump took to the airwaves and proclaimed that “there were some very fine people on both sides.” By good people, he meant those chanting Nazi slogans like “blood and soil” and “Jews will not replace us.” And with his statement, he legitimized the fascist ideologies that brought thousands of white supremacists to Charlottesville.

Making synonymous white supremacists, white nationalists, Nazis, and fascists with those who would confront them only served the worst excesses and impulses of the American public. 

Can we really feign outrage that there are now four openly anti-Semitic white nationalists, one of whom is a self-identified Nazi, running on Republican tickets this mid-term? This is not a coincidence or stroke of bad luck; these men have been emboldened and legitimized from the podiums of their party. Their message connects with what they hear from the president and the condemnation they don’t hear from other Republican leaders. It has become legitimate. It has become mainstream.  

A literal Nazi ran unopposed in Illinois’ 3rd District during the Republican primary. After being exposed, he still received over 20,000 votes from people in his district. Why? Because he ran as a Republican and that was good enough. The particulars don’t matter  (#mainstreaming). 

And yet, the mainstreaming of white supremacy since Unite the Right doesn’t stop there. It has seeped into all aspects of our political discourse. One does not have to see a robe and hood or a swastika tattoo to recognize the engine driving this process. In fact, the groups that marched in Charlottesville remain on the fringe and are fractured (for now) even while their views become more publicly accepted. 

The White Supremacist Lines at Unite the Right

The new frontline has become the normalization of xenophobia, allowing sensible people to feel like there is a justification for interning brown children and separating them from their parents. It is the “othering” of Muslims in the form of a ban that is wrapped in the guise of national security; it is referring to African countries as “shit holes,” while praising historically homogeneous white countries like Norway; it is the public shaming of black athletes like Colin Kaepernick and Lebron James as unpatriotic and dumb; it is the fusing of populist resentment from the white working class with the worst kinds of nationalism to create a tribalistic worldview that perceives constant threats, both economic and physical, from grossly misrepresented black and brown communities. This worldview effectively says “you can only be safe when you are around other white people who think like you,” and it has revived the worst kinds of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and convinced 30 percent of America that the “liberal press,” the check on this kind of rampant misinformation, is their enemy. 

This is the mainstreaming of white supremacy and fascism, and we can’t even begin to comprehend the downstream effects of this movement.

America has always grappled with these demons, and it is naive to believe that Trump is the cause. He is merely the effect. Yet policy differences aside, we have always had presidents who could, at the very least, tame these demons and curb their worst excesses. Remember, civility in America always starts at the top. Without this, we are now playing constant defense. We are back to explaining to our friends, relatives, and colleagues why Nazis, white supremacists, and white nationalists do not deserve a right to rally publicly. We are back to rationalizing and bartering with people who feel they can openly discriminate – even if they are ignorant of what they are saying and doing. As one of my colleagues at RVA Mag would say, “they are colonizers.” We are back to defending the very notion of anti-fascism from the same generation whose parents fought to free Europe from the Nazi scourge.

I am back to explaining to my relatives who vote Republican that their candidate this midterm, Corey Stewart, stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the very same white supremacists who planned Unite the Right last year. The same people who chanted “blood and soil” and “Jews will not replace us.” Nonetheless, they will still vote Republican. Because the mainstreaming process has convinced them they are under threat. Not from the Nazis or white supremacists who hate them, but from immigrants, communities of color, and the liberal media who are trying to silence them. 

Counter-Protestors at Unite the Right

This weekend there will be multiple events in both Charlottesville and Washington, DC. The event in DC will be attended by former KKK Grand Wizard, David Duke and Jason Kessler, the organizer of Unite the Right, upping the potential for violent escalation. From the map of the staging areas the DC police are attempting to keep both sides apart. But as we have seen from recent rallies in Portland and Berkeley, the best-laid security plans are only as good as the willingness of people to follow them. 

While I will be there in my capacity as a journalist, I will also be there in support of anti-fascists, anti-racists, and those who would deny a platform for ideologies rooted in violence and hatred. I have no other choice. We can no longer pretend that sensible moderation and conversation will somehow derail the mainstreaming process of white supremacy and fascism. Those of us who have the ability to raise attention to this must. Those of us in the media must not hide behind the thin veneer of neutrality any longer. To do so will be to our own eventual detriment.

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, in a new book titled “Fascism: A Warning,” summed up the state of play in modern America. “[Trump] convinced enough voters in the right states that he was a teller of blunt truths, a masterful negotiator, and an effective champion of American interests. That he is none of those things should disturb our sleep, but there is a larger cause for unease. Trump is the first anti-democratic president in modern U.S. history.”

We must rally. We must resist. That is what we must remember one year later.

The One Year Anniversary of Unite the Right is Here. A lot Has Happened

Madelyne Ashworth | August 7, 2018

Topics: abigail spanberger, Anti-Racism, black lives matter, Confederate monuments, Corey Stewart, Crying Nazi, CSA II The New Confederate States of America, DACA, Dave Brat, David Duke, Dreamers of Virginia, Identity Evropa, Jason Kessler, KKK, Monument Avenue Commission, Parkland Florida shooting, Ralph Northam, trump, Unite the Right, white nationalism, white supremacy, zero tolerance policy

RVA Tank, Parkland Shooting, Democratic-nominee Spanberger, families separated at the border, KKK effigies, Governor Northam, punching Nazis, getting punched by Nazis.

It’s been a long year.

As we approach the one year anniversary of Unite the Right, the alt-right rally held in Charlottesville on Aug. 12 last year that ended with the death of counter-protester Heather Heyer, it’s hard to ignore the tension in the air. Whether that tension has increased or decreased, or the political dissension within our country is better or worse, Americans are certainly motivated. We’ve seen protest after protest, breaking news stories flying in each day with news of Russia, North Korea, Robert Mueller, Corey Stewart, and Jason Kessler.

The white nationalist movement has not slowed down, nor has it given up. Identity Evropa came to Richmond to pick up trash in hopes of normalizing their cause. The FBI has as many open cases concerning white supremacist propaganda online as they do for ISIS. And Unite the Right is happening again, but this time, its headed to Washington, D.C.

Here is a brief roundup of events from the past year to get you up to speed on the white nationalist movement in Virginia in preparation for this weekend’s latest appearance from our best-known racists (this list may not include every event related to white nationalism in Virginia):

August 2017: Jason Kessler, online blogger, and white nationalist, successfully organizes an alt-right rally called Unite the Right on Aug. 12 in Charlottesville, in the name of protecting the Confederate statues in two local parks. Several physical altercations occurred during the rally, and attendees were armed with bats, guns, or other weapons.

White Supremacists at Unite the Right

James Alex Fields, Jr., a white nationalist, drove his vehicle into a crowd of counter-protesters after the rally was deemed unlawful by police. His attack killed Heather Heyer and injured multiple others. Fields was part of Vanguard America, a white supremacist organization. He was placed in jail and denied bail.

President Trump suggested the blame for the violence rested with “many sides.”

September 2017: The Dreamers, young first-generation immigrants protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals act, mobilized after Trump’s threat to end the program. Long marches between Charlottesville and Richmond as well as Charlottesville and Washington sprung up as September clung to summer temperatures. DACA was rescinded later that month by Trump, but at least temporarily upheld by the Supreme Court.

An activist group hung Ku Klux Klan effigies in Bryan Park.

The New Confederate States of America planned a rally in Richmond to support Confederate statues on Monument Avenue, claiming to be motivated by the Monument Avenue Historical Commission convened in June by Mayor Levar Stoney and tasked with providing recommendations for what to do with the statues. The rally took place on Sept. 16, attended by over 400 counter-protesters, a heavy police presence, and a small handful of CSA members who arrived in twos and threes. The CSA was severely outnumbered in what RVA Mag called a “win for Richmond,” as the protest ended peacefully.

Counter-Protestors in Richmond

Later that month, the FBI claimed white nationalists are just as dangerous as Islamic terrorists.

October 2017: At the beginning of the month, a circuit court judge in Charlottesville handed down a ruling signaling that the Commonwealth’s laws protecting war memorials could be retroactively applied to Virginia’s Confederate monuments.

The City of Charlottesville and several small businesses in the area filed a novel lawsuit to prevent future militia groups from entering their city again. This lawsuit is ongoing and continues to seek a verdict in August of 2018. Six defendants have settled since May 2018.

White nationalist Richard Spencer held a torch-lit rally in Emancipation Park in Charlottesville, glorifying the Robert E. Lee monument and mimicking a similar torch-lit rally held on UVA’s campus the night before Unite the Right. Around two dozen white nationalists were present.

Jason Kessler began a new white nationalist group called New Byzantium following Unite the Right. It’s one of many new alt-right groups that continue to crop up to this day, largely spread through online forums.

November 2017: In a Democratic sweep, Ralph Northam became the new Governor of Virginia, joined by Justin Fairfax as Lt. Governor, and Mark Herring as Attorney General. It was a significant Democratic victory similar to the victory of then-Senator Obama when he won the presidency in 2008. The blue wave was accompanied by a new wave of female representatives in the General Assembly, the largest number of women to be elected to the GA in Virginia’s history. This included the first Latina women, the first Asian-American, and the first transgender woman to win a seat in the GA.

January 2018: Chris Cantwell, the notorious “Crying Nazi,” faced up to 20 years in jail for pepper-spraying counter-protesters at a torch-lit white supremacist rally on UVA’s campus the night before Unite the Right. At the beginning of the month, he attempted to sue anti-fascists, claiming that they discharged the pepper spray against themselves.

Thousands of women come to Richmond for the one-year anniversary of the Women’s March.

March 2018: Deandre Harris, a black man viciously beaten by white nationalists during the Unite the Right, was charged and then acquitted of assault by the District Court in Charlottesville. During Unite the Right, Harris was assaulted by six men with wooden pikes in the Market Street Parking Garage, eventually sustaining a spinal injury and receiving 10 staples in his head.

June 2018: Nathan Larson, a self-confessed pedophile and white supremacist, runs for Congress in Virginia. Previously an accountant in Charlottesville, Larson is running as an independent. Jason Allsup, another white nationalist who attended the Unite the Right rally, was elected as a Republican official in Washington state. This marked the beginning of many white supremacists and anti-Semitic candidates running on the Republican ticket in America ahead of midterm elections. This trend continued with Corey Stewart, Virginia’s Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate. He appeared on CNN and struggled to answer questions about his past ties to white supremacists and anti-semites. He continues to be aggressive online and has not revoked his white nationalist ties.

Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic nominee for Virginia’s 7th District, wins a huge primary victory and will run against Dave Brat in the fall for the congressional seat.

Abigail Spanberger

President Trump begins his “zero tolerance” immigration policies and enacts legislation that separates immigrant children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border. National and international outrage sparks protests throughout the Commonwealth, including one outside Dave Brat’s office, who publicly supported Trump’s decision.

The National Parks Service approved an application submitted by Jason Kessler for another alt-right rally to be held in Washington, D.C. on Aug. 11 and 12 this year. This will come to pass this weekend in Lafayette Park, Washington, D.C.

Identity Evropa visited Richmond for a little community service by picking up trash around town in an attempt to normalize their organization and beliefs. In Lexington, local restaurant owner Stephanie Wilkinson refused to service White House Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders at her restaurant, The Red Hen. It was followed by five days of protests against and for her restaurant. In one instance, someone threw chicken feces on their storefront window.

July 2018: The Monument Avenue Commission recommended that the Jefferson Davis monument be removed from Monument Avenue, with Mayor Stoney’s approval. Later in August, an unknown individual vandalized the Robert E. Lee monument with red paint, writing “BLM” (Black Lives Matter) on the statue’s base. This is only the latest act of vandalism concerning the statues over the past year.

Chris Cantwell, the aforementioned “crying Nazi,” was barred from entering the Commonwealth for the next five years. He plead guilty to assault and battery for spraying two anti-racist activists with pepper spray the night before Unite the Right.

August 2018:

Now that August approaches, we look to another year that will hopefully not result in death or injury. Jason Kessler will be in D.C. this Sunday, Aug. 12, in Lafayette Square to march and protest in the name of “white civil rights.” Regular faces like Kessler, Spencer and former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke are said to appear and speak, although the movement has suffered serious divisions and other prominent white nationalists are disavowing Kessler.

A vigil will be held on Saturday, Aug. 11, in Charlottesville at 5 p.m. for Heather Heyer, in remembrance of her life, as well as an anti-racist march the next day in an attempt to heal from the events of last year.

Stay with RVA Mag on Instagram (@rvamag) and Twitter (@RVAmag)  for updates on these events this coming weekend.

Richmond pastors unite against white supremacy at Maggie Walker statue Monday

David Streever | August 22, 2017

Topics: Anti-Racism, Churches, Maggie Walker, Pastors, Reconciliation, richmond, unite the right rally, white supremacy

Around 600 Richmond pastors signed a statement rejecting white supremacy this past weekend following the tragic events in Charlottesville at the Unite the Right rally, which left one person dead and 19 wounded. They announced the statement Monday morning at a press conference, gathered by the Maggie L Walker statue on Broad Street.

Attendees included Richmond Police Department Officers, Pastors, and Members of the Public

More than 100 signatories were in attendance. “The pastors gathered here today are committed to preach, teach, and advocate against the sins of racism and white supremacy,” said Minister David Bailey. Referencing Richmond’s former status as the capital of the confederacy, he called for a transformation, quoting local historian Dr. Ben Campbell. “We want to be known as the capital of reconciliation.”

Minister David Bailey and Pastor Corey Widmer Opened the Press Conference

Richmond was a key city in the slave trade, operating the second largest market after New Orleans. The legacy of slavery continued with a history of civil rights abuses, even into the 1970s. The NAACP filed more suits in Virginia, many of them in Richmond, than anywhere else in the US.

Pastor Corey Widmer of Third Church

Bailey introduced Pastor Corey Widmer from Third Church and one of the signatories, who took up the theme of reconciliation. “This is a powerful statement of unity,” he said. “We want our commonwealth and our nation to know that we as a united church reject the ideology of white supremacy and anti-semitism in all its forms…This is very important for us today, especially those of us who are white, to own what we have failed to do in the past, and to humbly repent for that sin.”

Ray Taalib-Deen Muhammad Representing his FACDA Anti-Racism Foundation

After cheers and applause, Bailey returned to the podium. “Later this week, the organizers of this event will meet to determine concrete steps we can take together to address the legacy of racism in our city,” he said. As the executive director of Arrabon, a ministry that equips churches in anti-racist work, he is in a unique position to deliver on this promise.

Attendees Held Hands and Prayed

After introducing the rest of the organizers, Bailey and Widmer invited the crowd to join hands and pray with them for reconciliation, repentance for past complicity in racism, and the resolve to work together in unity. The group will announce next steps on their website. 

With Bowed Heads, Participants Prayed Together

Charlottesville: Unite the Right through the eyes of Jason Lappa

Jason Lappa | August 16, 2017

Topics: anti-fascism, Anti-Racism, Charlottesville, Defend C'ville, Resistance, Unite the Right, white nationalism, white supremacy

The photographs in this essay are a terrifying glimpse into the events that unfolded in Charlottesville at Unite the Right this past weekend–events that for me, started on Friday evening at a small nameless field on the University of Virginia campus and would not end until late Sunday evening.

I cannot describe the feeling of dread that came over me as I looked down on a dark field and saw hundreds of angry white men preparing their torches, organizing a ‘security detail’, and ‘falling in’ ranks behind one another to light their torches during their march of terror. What these photos do not convey is the faint acrid smell of torch fuel that lit the air, the anti-semitic battlecry coming out of the darkness, or the relentless pain that mace and pepper spray inflicts.

But that was only the beginning.

On Saturday morning I arrived at Emancipation Park just as the violence began. Looking around, it felt like a giant cage match. Police officers in riot gear held the perimeter, while all of us who remained inside the protest area were treated to the full spectacle of the clashes taking place. At one point somebody told me I was bleeding, I didn’t remember being cut or feeling any pain where the blood was. As I washed it away, a chilling reality sent in. I was fine–this was someone else’s blood.

As you can see from the photographs and our coverage, the entire RVA Mag team was in the middle of the chaos. In some cases, I was so close that white supremacists’ hate spewing saliva landed on my lens. I was able to get this close because of my privilege, and I want to be clear about that. I took full advantage of this to make these photographs and document as best I could what happened on the day, and these photographs to bear witness to the truth of what I saw. I took no money do this; Charlottesville is my home and it has been for over twenty years. I love my city and its people and I will continue to fight for it and them.

“Blood & Soil”. Torch Lit March on Friday Night. UVA Campus
Preparing Torches for Friday Night UVA March
“Jews Will Not Replace Us.” UVA Friday Night
In Defense of Equality. Counter-Protesters Friday Night, UVA
The Battle Lines had been drawn. Emancipation Park, Saturday Morning
The Face of Modern Supremacy
War In The Streets. Emancipation Park
Resistance in the Streets. Saturday Afternoon
Supremacists manning their barricades
What Once Was
State of Emergency. Virginia National Guard

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