Charlottesville, Virginia, Reels From Deadly White Nationalist Rally

Special coverage: Charlottesville residents: 'When so many demonstrators come out armed, it only takes one to ignite a fire' ■ Rabbis, Jewish students face down white nationalists ■ Nazism and anti-Semitism take center stage at Charlottesville rally ■ Analysis: Trump makes America hate again and 6 more Charlottesville takeaways

By

Haaretz

Aug 13, 2017 11:14 AM

White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' clash with counter-protesters as they enter Lee Park during the 'Unite the Right' rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. — CHIP SOMODEVILLA/AFP

Haaretz

15.08.2017 | 11:55

ADL chief: Trump's failure to denounce 'alt-right' to blame for Charlottesville

The head of the Anti-Defamation League strongly rebuked U.S. President Donald Trump for failing to speak out against white supremacist violence that led to a womans death at the Unite the Right gathering last weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia.

ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt also said that the presidents statements are no longer sufficient and called on Trump, Congress and others to implement policies to address growing white nationalist extremism in the U.S. Read the full story

A demonstrator holds a sign in front of the White House during a vigil for the woman who died in the car-ramming attack in Charlottesville, August 13, 2017. ZACH GIBSON/AFP

Haaretz

15.08.2017 | 08:53

Analysis | Who will fight the racist right? Don't look to the hard left

On Saturday U.S. President Donald Trump shamefully refused to single out for condemnation the violent supremacists who wreaked havoc and murdered a counter-protester in Charlottesville, blaming instead many sides. But the justified criticism of Trump shouldnt obscure the fact that the racists on the right are becoming increasingly indistinguishable from their ostensible rivals on the opposite end of the spectrum.

The far lefts presumption to be the only true opponents of the far right covers up the fact that it shares the same methods and attitudes to the media and democracy, believes in the same conspiracy theories. Both sides dismiss the accumulating evidence against Trump and his collusion with the Kremlin as lies fabricated by the deep state and trumpeted by the fake-news MSM. (Anshel Pfeffer) Read the full story

Haaretz

15.08.2017 | 07:57

Protesters topple century-old Confederate statue in North Carolina

Protesters in North Carolina toppled a nearly century-old statue of a Confederate soldier Monday at a rally against racism.

Activists in Durham brought a ladder up to the statue and used a rope to pull down the Confederate Soldiers Monument that was dedicated in 1924. A diverse crowd of dozens cheered as the statue of a soldier holding a rifle fell to the ground in front of an old courthouse building that now houses local government offices. Read the full story

A Sheriff's deputy stands near the toppled statue of a Confederate soldier in front of the old Durham County Courthouse in Durham, North Carolina. STRINGER/REUTERS

Haaretz

15.08.2017 | 05:44

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones: Jewish actors posed as KKK in Charlottesville

Radio host, conspiracy theorist and U.S. President Donald Trump supporter Alex Jones — who earlier this year ranted about a Jewish mafia run by billionaire George Soros — was at it again Sunday with a theory that leftist Jews may have impersonated Nazis to discredit white supremacist protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia.

"I mean, quite frankly, Ive been to these events, a lot of the KKK guys with their hats off look like theyre from the cast of 'Seinfeld,'" he said on The Alex Jones Show. "Literally theyre just Jewish actors. Nothing against Jews in general, but they are leftist Jews that want to create this clash and they go dress up as Nazis." Read the full story

"Infowars" host Alex Jones in Austin, Texas on April 17, 2017. Tamir Kalifa/AP

Haaretz

14.08.2017 | 18:59

Judge denies bail for suspected Charlottesville attacker James Alex Fields

A judge has denied bond for an Ohio man accused of plowing his car into a crowd at a white nationalist rally.

Fields is charged with second-degree murder and other counts after authorities say he drove into the crowd, fatally injuring one woman and hurting 19 others. Read full story

Haaretz

14.08.2017 | 16:46

Sessions says Charlottesville attack meets definition of 'domestic terrorism'

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions became the second Trump administration official to condemn the weekend attack in Charlottesville as an act of terrorism on Monday.

Speaking on ABC's "Good Morning America," Sessions said that the attack "does meet the definition of domestic terrorism in our statute." Sessions called the car ramming attack in which one protestor was killed while demontrating against a nationalist right-wing protest an "evil atttack." Read full story

Haaretz

14.08.2017 | 14:38

After Charlottesville, anti-racism vigilantes rush to identify 'Nazi rally' participants

CHICAGO - In recent hours, a Facebook post by a Missouri resident Gregg Davis asking users to identify participants at the Charlottesville rally has gone viral, with more than 176,300 people sharing close ups cropped out from photographs from the torch march that ended in violence Saturday.

Do you know me? Are you my employer? I was at the Nazi Rally at charlotte, VA, says each photograph.

A tweeter account by the name Yes, your racist that has 'outed' nationalists in the past, also joined in, calling on anyone who recognizes the men in the photographs to name them on social media or send anonymous tips. Read full story

Haaretz

14.08.2017 | 10:04

What we know about James Alex Fields, driver charged in Charlottesville killing

James Alex Fields Jr. of Ohio was charged with second-degree murder in Charlottesville, Virginia on Saturday after he smashed a car into a line of cars in an episode that left a 32-year-old woman dead and injured at least 19 other people who were protesting a rally staged by white nationalists.

Background

Mr. Fields, 20, was born in Kenton, Ky., to Samantha Lea Bloom.
He was living with his mother until five or six months ago when he moved to his own apartment in Maumee, Ohio, according to an interview that Ms. Bloom gave to The Toledo Blade. They moved to Ohio from Kentucky about year ago because of her job, she said.

Mr. Fieldss father died before he was born, an aunt, Pam Fields, said in an interview on Sunday. Ms. Fields said she had not seen her nephew, whom she remembered as a very quiet little boy, more than five times in the past 10 years. Read full story

Haaretz

14.08.2017 | 09:49

What I discovered about white supremacists while protesting alongside rabbis in Charlottesville

Blood and soil. Blood and soil. Blood and soil.

They chanted the slogan in sync with the sound of their combat boots hitting the pavement. And they werent shouting; it was a mantra spoken robotically. I could hear it because they passed right in front of me yesterday as I stood with my fellow clergy along one side of Emancipation Park in Charlottesville: a long line of young white men dressed in khakis and polo shirts, but also helmets and mouthguards, and wielding batons and wooden shields, and holding Confederate and Nazi flags. In place of a helmet there was the occasional telltale red hat: Make America Great Again. Read full story

Haaretz

14.08.2017 | 07:39

Trump: KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacist are repugnant

U.S. President Donald Trump has finally condemened Saturday's attackin Charlottesville, Virginia in which one protestor was killed at a nationalist far-right rally.

Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump said that "racism is evil," and that the KKK, white supremacists and other hate groups were "repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans." Read the full story

Trump: Those causing violence over racism are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists https://t.co/oTmAkbApxF
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) August 14, 2017

Haaretz

13.08.2017 | 18:57

Armed militias embody American white male privilege

Had ISIS conducted the same kind of recruitment efforts in the United States as the armed militias that descended on Charlottesville this weekend, the Department of Justice would already be investigating and prosecuting them. So will it?

That is the key question now, when even GOP standard bearers like Senators John McCain and Cory Gardner (chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee), plus House Speaker Paul Ryan and Jeb Bush have become willing to use terms like terrorist and white supremacist to describe the hundreds of white, right-wing majority male radicals who kicked off their Friday night in Charlottesville with a torch-lit rally where they chanted White lives matter, "One people, one nation," Jews will not replace us and that time-honored Nazi-era favorite, "Blood and soil (or Blut und Boden in the original German). Read full story

Haaretz

13.08.2017 | 18:54

WATCH: Why Trump won't condemn white supremacists

Donald Trump isn't known for mincing his words.

After Saturday's violent white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, however, all he could muster was a condemnation of the "egregious display of hated, bigotry and violence on many sides." Somehow, the president of the United States managed to avoid explicitly condemning white supremacists and neo-Nazis proudly marching in American streets.

His pathetic false equivalency stands in stark contrast to his non-filtered condemnation of radicalism and terror – as long as it was motivated by Islam.

On Saturday, reporters asked him: "Mr. President, do you want the support of these white nationalist groups who say they support you? Have you denounced them strongly enough? A car plowing into people – would you call that terrorism sir?"

Trump's silence spoke louder than any of his empty denunciations.

Haaretz

13.08.2017 | 17:32

'This is like guerrilla warfare': Charlottesville locals get ready for long battle

Hate came to Charlottesville yesterday, local councilman Bob Fenwick said to Haaretz. Were dealing with something very dark and terrible. They came here with the stated objective of hurting people and damaging property – and they succeeded in doing that.

Like many residents, Fenwick said he was disappointed with President Donald Trumps reaction to the events. This is going to take strong leadership. You cant shy from confronting what we saw yesterday, Fenwick said, adding he was happy to learn that federal and local authorities were making progress in the investigation into the violence. (Amir Tibon, Charlottesville) Read the full story

Police stand watch near the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Emancipation Park the day after a white nationalist rally devolved into violence, Charlottesville, Virginia, August 13, 2017. CHIP SOMODEVILLA/AFP

Haaretz

13.08.2017 | 16:57

Charlottesville mayor calls car-ramming attack a 'terrorist attack'

Charlottesville Mayor Mike Signer called the killing of a 32-year-old woman and the injury of others by a vehicle at a rally in the city a "terrorist attack with a car used as a weapon."

He made the comments in an interview Sunday with NBC's "Meet the Press."
Heather Heyer died when a car rammed into a group of people who were protesting the presence of white supremacists who had gathered in the city for a rally. (AP)

Haaretz

13.08.2017 | 16:03

Ivanka Trump: No place in society for racism, white supremacy and neo-Nazis

U.S. President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka addressed the violence of the preceding day at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesvill, Virginia, on Sunday morning, writing, "There should be no place in society for racism, white supremacy and neo-Nazis."

The White House adviser added, "We must all come together as Americans – and be one country UNITED. #Charlottesville." Read the full story

1:2 There should be no place in society for racism, white supremacy and neo-nazis.
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) August 13, 2017

2:2 We must all come together as Americans -- and be one country UNITED. #Charlottesville
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) August 13, 2017

Haaretz

13.08.2017 | 14:54

Republican leader in Israel hails Robert E. Lee as 'great man,' blames 'leftist thugs' for Charlotte

Trying to blame the President for these events is ridiculous," said Mark Zell, head of Republicans Abroad in Israel. "The president supports the United States and the freedom of all Americans. Even before the events escalated, he called for calm and restraint on all sides – in contradiction to [Trumps predecessor, Barack] Obama, who fanned racial tensions.

Going on the offensive, Zell said that he holds leftist thugs, local authorities and organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union responsible for Saturday's events.

I am, of course, no supporter of Nazis or white supremacists. But this very tragic event could have been avoided," he said. "It was clear to all that the leftist thugs would come out to provoke and escalate the events. These thugs are the ugly face of progressivism around the country. They are looking to shut down free speech. Read the full story

Haaretz

13.08.2017 | 14:07

Analysis | Trump and Netanyahu promote resentment, sow division and peddle hate

Both Trump and Netanyahu are inciters. Both are experts at spurring resentment, stirring hate and sowing division. Both made their way to the top by savaging the elites of which they are members. Both are world-class experts at manipulating their followers, stoking their anger and envy, turning their rage into political energy and using them as a locomotive that drives them to power.

Trump showed his true colors on Saturday by condemning many sides for the atrocious attack in Charlottesville in which 32-year-old Heather Heyer was murdered by a white supremacist. Even if political pressure will now compel him to come out and say something stronger, Trumps inability to condemn the racist nationalists who supported his election is no coincidence. It has been a constant feature of his of his short political career. Read the full story

U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands at the Israel museum in Jerusalem, May 23, 2017. Sebastian Scheiner/AP

Haaretz

13.08.2017 | 13:25

Armed white nationalists descend on Charlottesville, in photos and video

White nationalists marching in Charlottesville, Virginia wore militia uniforms, carried guns, waved Nazi and Confederate flags and chanted Nazi slogans. See more

White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" with body armor and combat weapons evacuate comrades who were pepper sprayed, August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia CHIP SOMODEVILLA/AFP

To be clear, these are NOT national guard but racist private militias posing as state actors to protect nazis and provoke. pic.twitter.com/PuoHNmXRpg
— Tom Perriello (@tomperriello) August 12, 2017

Haaretz

13.08.2017 | 12:23

Richard Spencer blames police for violence, calls Trump's response 'lame'

White nationalist figure Richard Spencer blamed police on Saturday for the violence that erupted before and after the rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he was scheduled to speak before it turned deadly.

Spencer said that he did not attempt to engage in any kind of violence. So the idea that I could be held responsible is absurd. Its like blaming the fire department for a fire. Read the full story

White nationalist Richard Spencer and his supporters clash with Virginia State Police in Lee Park after the 'United the Right' rally was declared unlawful August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. CHIP SOMODEVILLA/AFP

Haaretz

13.08.2017 | 12:20

Obama reacts to Charlottesville violence: No one is born a hater

Former U.S. President Barack Obama took to Twitter on Saturday to address the violence at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Obama quoted late South African President Nelson Mandela in three tweets. "No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion," the messages began. "People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love. For love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite." Read the full story

"No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion..." pic.twitter.com/InZ58zkoAm
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 13, 2017

"...For love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite." - Nelson Mandela
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 13, 2017

Haaretz

13.08.2017 | 11:45

Opinion | Your liberal bubble will not protect you from the neo-Nazis at your doorstep

That there are white supremacists out there in America is nothing new. Whats new is that for the first time in my lifetime, and perhaps in my parents lifetimes, too, there is a president in the White House who so values the support of these white supremacists that he wont dare utter a critical word about them, much less fire off an angry tweet.

That was the only conclusion we could reach this weekend as we watched President Trump react to the mayhem in Charlottesville, Virginia, by offering that he condemns the violence on many sides, even saying many sides a second time. As if what happened in Charlottesville was just some big bar brawl or high school rumble for which several different troublemakers were responsible. In his portrayal, these were just groups of demonstrators – with complete moral equivalency between the emboldened white nationalists and the "antifa," as some anti-fascist organizations are known. Read the full story

Haaretz

13.08.2017 | 10:46

Charlottesville attacker's mom: 'He had an African-American friend'

A woman who identified herself as the mother of the 20-year-old Ohio man accused of driving a car into a group of counter-protesters says he told her he was going to the rally but she wasn't aware of the nature of the event.

Samantha Bloom, of Ohio, apparently only learned of the Charlottesville attack from AP reporters who came to interview her about her son. She said her son hadnt given her any details about the rally but that she told him to be careful and to peaceful.

"I thought it had something to do with Trump," Bloom said about the rally. "Trump's not a white supremacist," she said. Bloom became visibly upset as she learned that dozens of people were injured in Charlottesville. Read the full story

A mugshot of James Alex Fields Jr., who was charged with one count of second degree murder after ramming into a crowed in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 12, 2017. HANDOUT/REUTERS

Haaretz

13.08.2017 | 10:15

Opinion | Why my hometown of Charlottesville is the perfect flashpoint for white nationalists

Charlottesville likes to fancy itself a liberal city, and by Virginia standards, it is. But it remains studded with monuments to the Confederacy.

Although it has been some years since I have been back to Charlottesville, it has been a painful day for me, seeing the death and destruction at the place I know so well. (Sean Scully) Read the full story

A man stops to comfort Joseph Culver (L) of Charlottesville as he kneels at a late night vigil to pay his respect for a friend injured in a car attack in Charlottesville, Virginia, August 12, 2017. JIM BOURG/REUTERS

Haaretz

13.08.2017 | 09:57

'When so many demonstrators come out armed, it only takes one to ignite a fire'

"There were dozens of people walking around town carrying weapons out in the open," Prof. William Antholis, who lives just a few blocks from the park and passes through it almost every day, told Haaretz. "I have been involved in politics for many years and witnessed demonstrations in the U.S. and abroad, but I don't recall seeing a demonstration in which dozens of people come out armed. That made the whole situation very tense and dangerous, because when you have rival political groups protesting in the streets, and many people in the crowd are carrying guns, it takes just one person to ignite a fire."

This situation was one of the reasons that Virginia's governor, Terry McAuliffe, declared a state of emergency on Saturday morning, thus allowing the local police to get any armed person away from the town center, where the two opposing rallies were set to take place. (Amir Tibon, Charlottesville) Read the full story

A member of a white supremacists militia stands near a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S., August 12, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts JOSHUA ROBERTS/REUTERS

Haaretz

13.08.2017 | 09:57

Opinion | Charlottesville, Virginia: A predictable atrocity in Donald Trump's America

In the Trump era, we cannot possibly be surprised that marchers waving Nazi and Confederate flags, calling passersby nigger and denouncing Jews, should include a murderer by motor vehicle. Charlottesville was the predictable atrocity.

Equally predictably, Trump stayed mute for several hours after the incident. When he finally took to Twitter, it was with exquisitely offensive even-handedness, decrying the violence and hate on many sides. As if anyone could miss the point, he repeated the phrase twice. (Samuel G. Freedman) Read the full article

Haaretz

13.08.2017 | 08:00

Opinion | Trump makes America hate again and 6 more Charlottesville takeaways

People expressed shock and disappointment after Trump uttered his outrageously bland violence on all sides statement on Saturday night in the wake of the violence and death in Charlottesville. But for Trump, thats par for the course.

Trump doesnt recognize 10 commandments, only one: Whats good for Trump is good and whats bad for Trump is bad. White supremacists, Jew-haters and other bigots love Trump and voted for him, so theyre good. Liberals, do-gooders and Democrats hate Trump and didnt vote for him, so theyre bad. (Chemi Shalev) Read the full story

Haaretz

13.08.2017 | 05:14

One dead, 30 injured as car plows into crowd protesting white nationalist rally in Charlottesville

At least one person died and 30 were injured in a day of violent clashes between white nationalists and counter-protesters in Virginia on Saturday, with the state's governor blaming the neo-Nazis for sparking the violence and demanding that they go home.

A man from Ohio was held by police on charges relating to the car incident, including second-degree murder. Read the full story

A woman receives first-aid after a car plows into a crowd of protesters in Charlottesville, VA on August 12, 2017. PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP

Haaretz

13.08.2017 | 02:28

Rabbis, Jewish students face down white nationalists at Charlottesville rally

Rabbis and rabbinical students traveled from other parts of the U.S. to join counterprotesters at a large white supremacy rally in Charlottesville on Saturday.

Some were confronted and taunted by white nationalists. The white supremacists were chanting, blood and soil, which is a classic Nazi slogan, and you will not replace us, said Rabbi Mordechai Liebling, a Reconstructionist rabbi. Read the full story

Haaretz

13.08.2017 | 02:07

Charlottesville mayor: Trump's White House to blame for violent white supremacist rally

The Jewish mayor of Charlottesville, Virginia blamed U.S. President Donald Trump for stoking the violence that has erupted at a white supremacist rally in the Virginia college town.

Im not going to make any bones about it, Mayor Michael Signer said. I place the blame for a lot of what youre seeing in America today right at the doorstep of the White House and the people around the president. Read the full story

Haaretz

13.08.2017 | 00:34

From Swastikas to David Duke: Nazism and anti-Semitism take center stage at Charlottesville rally

The mass gathering of white supremacists and alt-right supporters in Charlottesville, Virginia on Saturday not only centered around a Civil War controversy and the historic racial tension in the south – anti-Semitic and neo-Nazi slogans and symbols were prominent as well, with flags depicting swastikas flying side-by-side with Confederate flags.

The most commonly heard chants at the Unite the Right events, the torch-bearing march on Friday night as well as the aborted rally on Saturday, were You Will Not Replace Us! (occasionally replaced with Jews Will Not Replace Us!) and Blood and Soil.

Emblematic indeed#Charlottesville pic.twitter.com/qTvTB3BpSa
— Andy Campbell (@AndyBCampbell) August 12, 2017

Haaretz

12.08.2017 | 10:52

Trump condemns 'display of hatred, bigotry and violence – on many sides'

President Donald Trump reacted Saturday to the violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, that have left at least one person dead.

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence – on many sides, on many sides," Trump said. Read the full story

Trump speaks at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, August 12, 2017 JIM WATSON/AFP

Haaretz

12.08.2017 | 10:30

White nationalists march on University of Virginia Campus in Charlottesville

Hundreds of white marchers with blazing torches clashed with counterprotesters on the Charlottesville campus of the University of Virginia on Friday, the eve of a rally planned by thousands of white nationalists.

More than 100 alt-right activists & white nationalists marched Friday night through University of Virginia's campus: https://t.co/d5hl7VzYOB pic.twitter.com/9c9kNqWEVl
— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 12, 2017

At least one person was arrested and several on campus were treated for minor injuries, the Daily Progress newspaper said.

"I am beyond disgusted by this unsanctioned and despicable display of visual intimidation on a college campus," Mayor Mike Singer said in a statement. Read the full story