We use the term ‘far right’ to describe the views of the extreme right in politics, they are to the right of the mainstream right. The prefix of ‘far’ is supposed to make it clear that they are ‘far away’, distant and not likely to gain political power. After the events, which have unfolded in Charlottesville, Virginia since Friday America’s ‘far right’ suddenly seems far too close for comfort.
A lot has happened since then, so here’s what you need to know about what has happened in Charlottesville.
Friday
On Friday night, a Unite the Right rally which was due to take place on Saturday in the town, descended into chaos before it had even begun. The focal point for the start of the unrest was a statue in Charlottesville’s Emancipation Park, around which white nationalists began to gather. It glows green from the oxidization that takes place when copper is left to the mercy of the elements and depicts Robert E.Lee. Lee was a Confederate general during the American civil war, he was also a slave owner and has become an icon for white supremacists. The city has planned to remove the statue, which has made it the site of protests by various far-right groups this year. In July, there was a Ku Klux Klan rally in Charlottesville around a statue of another Confederate General, Thomas ‘Stonewall’ Jackson.
Unite the Right refers to a coming together of different right wing groups on the political far-right – Neo-Nazis, white nationalists, neo-Confederate and white supremacists.
The Confederate States of America refers to a group of slave-holding states who proclaimed themselves as a nation and went to war with the rest of America during the Civil War which began in 1861.
The rally was organised by Jason Kessler, who describes himself as a ‘pro-white’ activist. Kessler is what you might term a member of the alt-right online, he argues against diversity and ‘identity politics’. This is how the movement he heads fits into the bigger picture of the ‘America First’ and ‘Make America Great Again’ movement which Donald Trump became a poster boy for as soon as he entered his hat into the ring of last year’s presidential contest.
Saturday
On Saturday, the white nationalists who gathered for the ‘Unite the Right’ march were met by counter protesters, who turned up to protest the very fact that white supremacists were gathering.
There were multiple clashes and confrontations. The situation escalated quickly and at approximately 1.45pm a car, being driven by 20-year-old James Alex Fields Jr., ploughed into a group of protestors.
Heather Heyer, a 32-year-old paralegal for Miller Law Group, was killed by Fields in what can, and should, be described as an act of terrorism. Heyer has been described as ‘a passionate advocate for the disenfranchised’ who was ‘often moved to tears by the world’s injustices.’
In an interview with The Cincinnati Enquirer, Fields has since been described by one of his former history teachers as ‘a very bright kid, but very misguided and disillusioned’. The same teacher said that he had written a report which was ‘very much along the part lines of the neo-Nazi movement.’ He has since been charged with murder and refused bail.
Nineteen other people were injured, some critically. In total, at least 34 people were wounded in the clashes between Unite the Right and counter protestors. The Governor of Virginia, Terry McAuliffe, declared a state of emergency.
How Did Donald Trump Respond To Events In Charlottesville?
On Saturday afternoon, the President condemned what he called the ‘egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides’ but was criticised because he did not explicitly condemn either ‘white nationalists’ or ‘neo-Nazis’. Ivanka Trump, however, tweeted:
Sunday
The President’s statement equated the actions of far-right protestors with those of the counter protestors and, by Sunday, he was being criticised by both Republicans and Democrats. A White House spokesperson then made a statement in an attempt to defend their previous statement:
‘The president said very strongly in his statement yesterday that he condemns all forms of violence, bigotry and hatred. Of course, that includes white supremacists, KKK, neo-Nazi and all extremist groups.’
Many people feel that Trump has not been explicit enough in his condemnation of the far-right. You may remember that he didn’t decline support from the Ku Klux Klan during his campaign in 2016 when they came out in support of him. It took Trump a week to firmly denounce the KKK. some people are citing this as a precursor for his current reluctance to come out strongly against such groups. The problem is that his reluctance is read by such groups, as well as everyone else, as tacit and implicit support.
As the Southern Poverty Law Centerputs it: ‘Trump’s run for office electrified the radical right, which saw in him a champion of the idea that America is fundamentally a white man’s country.’
Monday
As America tries to regroup following the abhorrent events in Charlottesville, people from across the world have been responding via social media. The hashtag #ThisIsNotUs was used by white people who wanted to make it clear that they did not stand with the far-right racist protestors.
However, not everyone felt this was an appropriate response because, in short, it’s a way of removing yourself or disassociating yourself from the problem. In doing so, you cannot be part of countering it. Another phrase was also circulating: ‘all white people are responsible for the upholding of white supremacy and for the fall of it.’ Through this, white people were able to recognise their privilege whilst showing their support for people of colour and pledging to stand against racism in their own communities. As one counter protester's banner read: ‘tolerance is tolerating intolerance.’ If you tolerate intolerance, you are complicit in it. There is only one way to respond to hatred and racism, and that is to be unfalteringly intolerant of it.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.