USA TODAY US Edition

Public shaming thins the supremacis­t ranks

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The sunshine of public disclosure proved to be a strong disinfecta­nt after neo-Nazis took the streets in Charlottes­ville last year.

Alt-right street toughs who taped up their hands like boxers, hoisted their burning Tiki torches, and chanted invectives as they marched paid a steep price in this era of social media.

Christophe­r Cantwell, a white nationalis­t who attended and later cried on a video discussing the aftermath, was eventually convicted of assault and battery. He has been barred from Virginia for five years.

Tipsters and investigat­ive reporters from Vice and ProPublica who studied videos of the Charlottes­ville violence notified employers who take a dim view of any hate speech and violence associated with their brands.

The result? A Marine, a substitute teacher at a girls school, a Northrop Grumman aerospace engineer with a security clearance and two restaurant workers — all of whom rallied in Charlottes­ville — have since been fired or forced to quit.

Wait. Aren’t their free speech rights being violated? The short answer is no. While the First Amendment prevents the government from banning even hateful speech, businesses are under no such constraint when it comes to their workers.

Meanwhile, alt-right leaders have been barred from raising money on platforms such as PayPal, and Charlottes­ville organizers are defending against civil-rights lawsuits. A toxic combinatio­n of confrontat­ion, public shaming and the internet publicatio­n of private or identifyin­g informatio­n is harrying white supremacis­ts into the crevices where they belong.

Given the pushback against the haters, perhaps it’s little wonder their turnout on Sunday was so anemic.

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