Just days ago, alt-right movement leader Jason Kessler applied for a permit that would allow him to return to Emancipation Park in Charlottesville next August. Kessler’s “Unite the Right” rally this past summer made national news, as clashes between over 2,500 protestors and anti-protestors turned violent. One death and hundreds of injuries were caused by this rally.
According to Kessler’s website, he claims that he will not allow the government to “use the one year anniversary of the Charlottesville government violating a federal judge’s order and the US Constitution, in conjunction with violent Antifa groups, to further demonize activists.”
Kessler also stated that in 2018, he plans on forcing the specific security measures to be released by officials to avoid any further complications and rioting like those that occurred this past year.
“We have a duty to our people and our nation to rise above pettiness and become the individuals that history requires us to be. See you in Charlottesville August 11th and 12th, 2018.”
WUVA News asked a few students at the University of Virginia how they felt about this recent statement from Kessler.
Brandon Williams stated that “regardless of Kessler’s rights to hold a rally in a public space, given the previous events and consequences that took place last time this happened, he simply cannot be given this privilege. Obviously there was violence on both sides, however when an alt-right movement comes into town what do the authorities expect of the general public? They know that they are not going to want to sit back and watch these types of people come into the city.”
Another student, Ryan Finley, thinks that “this man cannot be allowed in this area after what he caused a few months ago. There needs to be some way the city can deny his right to form a rally after what his party caused to happen last time.”
The decision of whether to grant Kessler this permit has not been at this point.
