Hundreds mark a year since Charlottesville
CHARLOTTESVILLE: Hundreds of students and leftwing activists took to the streets of Charlottesville, Virginia, yesterday, as a rally to mark the anniversary of last year’s white nationalist gathering turned largely into an antipolice protest.
With chants such as ‘‘Cops and Klan go hand in hand’’, the protesters’ criticisms of both police and the University of Virginia underscored the resentment that still exists a year after torchbearing neoNazis marched through campus, shouting antiSemitic messages and beating counterprotesters.
Several students said they were angry that the police response was far larger this year than last year, when people carrying tiki torches at the white nationalist rally went mostly unchecked.
At one point yesterday, dozens of officers in riot gear formed a line near where the rally was taking place, prompting many protesters to rush over, yelling, ‘‘Why are you in riot gear? We don’t see no riot here.’’
The standoff ended without any clashes as organisers urged the crowd to move away and begin marching off campus. Police, who appeared to be avoiding a confrontation, rode bicycles ahead of the march to stop traffic.
The newly installed president of the University of Virginia, James Ryan, apologised for the school’s inaction last year while speaking at an event to mark the anniversary.
Yesterday’s march capped a day of hope, grief, anger and remembrance in Charlottesville, one year after the ‘‘Unite the Right’’ rally brought racially charged street violence to the scenic college town.
Hundreds of police maintained a tight security perimeter around a 15block downtown area. Their presence was not welcomed by everyone, but the result was a day largely devoid of conflict.
The organiser of last year’s rally, local blogger Jason Kessler, has planned a sequel for today in Washington after being denied a permit in Charlottesville. — Reuters