The Rancid Circus Comes to Charlottesville
It’s still three days until the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, and it already seems to be unraveling in a mass of name-calling, accusations of bad faith, and blustery posturing by the groups involved. These include the League of the South, the Traditionalist Workers Party, the Kekistan Militia, the Three Percenters, Oathkeepers, Identity Evropa, the Nationalist Socialist Party, and various local self-described “militia” groups with names like “KK and the Pirates” and the “Fraternal Order of Alt-Right.” They’re arguing over whether open carry is allowed or not (and who really has the stones to defy the law if it’s not), whether or not the City of Charlottesville revoked their event permit, and whether or not they should move to a new, larger venue as ordered by the city or remain in the original, cramped location.
Some of these groups insist that they don’t have any political alignment or affinity with the Richard Spencer crowd, and are only there to show their support for the principle of Free Speech. None of them, as far as I can tell, have ever rallied to support the principle of Free Speech on behalf of Black Lives Matter or any group or cause on the left side of the political spectrum.
This event is nominally a rally in support of preserving Confederate monuments under threat in Charlotseville, but no one believes that’s what’s really going on here. The event is being promoted heavily on forums like Stormfront. Several heritage groups, including the Virginia Division of the SCV, denounced this event weeks ago.
AirBnB has cancelled the reservations of customers who they believe are going to Charlottesville to attend the event.
Both the Rutherford Institute, a libertarian-leaning think tank and legal resource center, and the ACLU have weighed in on the City of Charlotteville’s handling of this clusterfnck.
The local organizer, self-described “citizen journalist” Jason Kessler, appears to under a lot of stress, and posts unhinged, profanity-filled selfie video streams every time something goes wrong. In one of them he claims he’s being followed by a gang of trans women — and ZOMG he’s not even in a public restroom!
The evolving Charlottesville clown show is being covered in regular posts at the satirically-named Restoring the Honor blog (some language NSFW), that has been exposing the ties between the “Heritage not Hate” folks and white nationalist extremists for a while now. This morning, Restoring the Honor is asking, “Is Unite The Right going to be the Nazis’ Altamont?”
It’s gonna be interesting, y’all.
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Dead Confederates, A Civil War Era Blog 
It really makes you wonder just how many of the racists will even show up. This thing looks like the usual desperate grasp for attention that the scum crave.
I honestly have no idea how many will show up fer reals.
I have never been there but Charlottesville looks like a decent vibrant place. I hope that the stench will dissipate before people have to go to work on Monday.
the downtown walking area/pedestrian mall is very nice. Theaters, interesting stores, great used book shops, good restaurants. My wife and I go there sometimes when we’re in the area.
Well, they showed up. And killed somebody. Charlottesville is nice, I spent a week there at the University for a teaching seminar the last week in June.
The “debate” about Confederate monuments has followed some pretty well worn tracks. Now its mutated into something else.
The alt right got what it wanted: publicity, violence, blood, chaos. And I’m sure that we’re going to see a lot more of the same. I can only hope that now they have come out in the open, they can be defeated.
Actual honest to God Nazis, marching in an American city in 2017. Mumbling about “both sides do it” ain’t gonna cut it.
“Both sides do it,” spoken clearly, does cut it: https://ethicsalarms.com/2017/08/14/morning-ethics-warm-up-charlottesville-aftermath-edition-8142017/
Well, Kristoffer, I guess those murdering racist KKK and neo Nazis are just part of the colorful pageant of the American scene. Just another point of view, held with admirable sincerity by those fine young men. How helpful their contribution to the discussion of Confederate memorials has been. Let us reason with them, and listen with empathy to their dream of genocide. The other side was just as bad, except for the murder part. And the genocide part. And the Nazi part. Because you know what: Nazis are kind of uniquely evil.
They are certainly pleased with the outcome of their little party. A tremendous victory for racists everywhere, with a little assist from the “b-b-b-both sides do it” people. Such useful idiots. And with the wink and a nod from our commander in chief, was simply the most delicious cherry on top of their shit sundae. I’m sure that David Duke was able to achieve an erection for the first time in years.