White nationalist and alt-right movement activist, Richard Spencer, is having trouble finding a lawyer to represent him in a recent lawsuit that dates back to August. Spencer, who lead the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville last summer, is facing charges for emotional and physical trauma. This rally produced dozens of injuries as well as one death when a Nazi sympathizer drove his car into a crowd of anti-protestors.
As of today, no lawyer in Virginia will take up Spencer’s case. Spencer had to file a motion for himself last week.
In the motion, the white nationalist claimed that: “harsh and bold words, as well as scuffles, are simply a reality of political protests, which are, by their very nature, contentious and controversial.” “Free societies,” he continued, “not only in the United States but around the world, accept this as a cost of free assembly and maintaining a vibrant political culture.”
Ultimately, Spencer made it clear that he blames the leftist militant group “Antifa,” or the “antifascists” for the August violence. Antifa is known for attacking or attempting to silence supporters of Donald Trump as well as the Alt-Right. The August rally, Spencer explained, “was thus destined to attack the ire of Antifa agitators.”
Spencer also claimed that his actions should be protected by the First Amendment as acts of free speech. The white nationalist reasoned that he was only a speaker and participant of the August rally, not an organizer.
Spencer added that he feels attorneys refuse to take his case in order to cause him financial damage.
This is not the first time that lawyers have acted in such a way against white supremacists in the courts. According to CNN, lawyers targeted Ku Klux Klan groups and tried to cause bankruptcy after the the Southern Poverty Law Center won verdicts against them.
Multiple attorneys have stated that they hope to cripple Spencer and his followers financially, as well as prohibit him from holding any more rallies that could potentially cause consequences that resemble those of August. Ultimately these lawyers are reasoning that Spencer inflicted trauma in all forms on the Charlottesville community, and was at the core of all the traumatic events that occurred.
To read Richard Spencer’s motion published by CNN, click here.
