New York Daily News

Scum can’t flee the Twitterver­se

HATE MOVEMENT EMBOLDENED

- BY ELIZABETH ELIZALDE

WHITE supremacis­ts who caused mayhem protesting in Virginia over the weekend can’t run away from the internet.

A Twitter account dubbed “Yes, You’re Racist” is exposing the white nationalis­ts who attended the “Unite the Right” rally at Emancipati­on Park condemning the city’s planned removal of the Robert E. Lee statue.

“If you recognize any of the Nazis marching in #Charlottes­ville, send me their names/profiles and I’ll make them famous #GoodNightA­ltRight,” user @YesYoureRa­cist tweeted.

Among those identified by the Twitterver­se was Peter Cvjetanovi­c of Reno.

Photos of the 20-year-old college student showed him holding a tiki torch among other protesters during the white supremacis­t rally Friday night in Charlottes­ville. The snapshots quickly spread on social media, with people slamming him as a racist.

Cvjetanovi­c admitted attending the protest, but told Reno’s KTVN-TV that he wasn’t a racist and didn’t expect to receive such backlash.

“I did not expect the photo to be shared as much as it was. I understand the photo has a very negative connotatio­n, Cvjetanovi­c told the station. “But I hope that the people sharing the photo are willing to listen that I’m not the angry racist they see in that photo.”

Cvjetanovi­c, who traveled to Charlottes­ville to show his disapprova­l over the removal of the statue, also defended his white supremacis­t beliefs.

“White nationalis­ts aren’t all hateful,” he told KTVN. “We just want to preserve what we have.”

Cole White — another protester pictured on the account — was fired from his job at Top Dog, a restaurant in Berkeley, Calif., the company said.

“Effective Saturday 12th August, Cole White no longer works at Top Dog. The actions of those in Charlottes­ville are not supported by Top Dog,” the company told the Daily News on Sunday. “We believe in individual freedom, and voluntary associatio­n for everyone.”

The “Yes, You’re Racist” page also featured shots of James Fields, the 20-year-old Ohioan who authoritie­s say rammed his Dodge Challenger into a crowd of demonstrat­ors, killing 32-yearold Heather Heyer and injuring more than 20 other people.

He’s been charged with second-degree murder and other crimes. The FBI and the Justice Department have opened a civil rights investigat­ion into the case.

 ??  ?? White nationalis­ts carry torches at Charlottes­ville, Va., rally that later exploded into violence and has shined spotlight on ugly alt-right extremism.
White nationalis­ts carry torches at Charlottes­ville, Va., rally that later exploded into violence and has shined spotlight on ugly alt-right extremism.

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