Far right demonstrations in Charlottesville 2017

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Scene of the demonstration

When right-wing demonstrations in Charlottesville under the slogan " Unite the Right " ( German , Combines the rights ') demonstrated extreme right-wing groups in the evening of August 11 and the morning of August 12, 2017 Charlottesville in the US state of Virginia . Participants were mainly members of the Alt-Right and Ku Klux Klan , neo-Nazis , neo-Confederates , militia movement supporters , white nationalists and white supremacy supporters.

After the official end of the event, James Alex Fields Jr., who had previously participated in the neo-Nazi demonstration, deliberately drove his car into a group of counter-demonstrators. He killed Heather Heyer , a 32-year-old woman, and injured at least 19 people. He was arrested a little later. US Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the act had features of domestic terrorism .

US President Donald Trump's reactions to the events in Charlottesville have sparked one of the biggest domestic political controversies of the Trump presidency to date .

Unite the right

Demonstrations

Equestrian statue for Robert E. Lee in Emancipation Park, Charlottesville

In Charlottesville (demonstrated on the evening of 11 and 12 August 2017 the slogan "Unite the Right" German "the United Rights ") Various neo-Nazi , racist and anti-Semitic groups against the planned, adopted by the City Council removal of the equestrian statue of the Confederate General Robert E. Lee , who was Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Virginia Army and the entire Confederate Army during the Civil War and who was stylized as a hero by Southerners after the War of Civilization . This demonstration is considered the largest right-wing extremist march in the United States in decades.

The participants, some of them dressed in paramilitary clothes and armed with rifles, marched through the city with torches , and there were several clashes with counter-demonstrators, a few of whom were also armed with rifles. During the torchlight procession, the participants chanted neo-Nazi slogans such as “blood and soil” (German for “ blood and soil ”). Some participants shouted "Heil-Trump" and showed the Hitler salute . Many participants in the torchlight procession wore T-shirts that read “ Make America Great Again ”, Donald Trump's 2016 campaign slogan . At least 19 people were injured in clashes between the groups involved.

The Governor of Virginia Terry McAuliffe called on August 12 at 11am the state of emergency from, fetched forces of the National Guard to Charlottesville and declared the demonstration ended.

Right-wing extremist groups involved

Right-wing demonstration participants carrying the Confederate War Flag , the Gadsden flag and the swastika flag .

Participating groups on the part of the right-wing extremists included the Ku Klux Klan , the National Socialist Movement , the National Policy Institute , the Three Percenters and the Traditionalist Youth Network . There were also numerous neo-Nazi splinter groups from various regions of the United States as well as supporters of outlaw motorcycle gangs . Speeches were given by former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke and White Supremacy activist Richard B. Spencer , among others . Supporters of Identity Evropa , an offshoot of the Identity Movement , also took part.

Counter-demonstrators

Local groups from the church environment and activists for racial justice had announced their protest in advance on the Internet and asked for support. An alliance of 37 Christian Orthodox and Protestant denominations, the National Council of Churches as well as members of church parishes and citizens of Charlottesville made up some of the counter-demonstrators, as well as supporters of the " Black Lives Matter " movement and people known as " Antifa " occurred. Some of the counter-demonstrators carried posters with anti-fascist, anti-racist and anti-capitalist slogans. The Democratic Socialists of America and the Industrial Workers of the World were also involved in the counter-demonstrations . A group of about 20 people called the "Redneck Revolt" appeared armed with rifles.

Car attack on counter-demonstrators

The murder vehicle

On the afternoon of August 12, after the right-wing rally ended , the driver of a Dodge Challenger deliberately drove into a group of counter-demonstrators in the 4th Street SouthEast area . The 32-year-old Heather Heyer was killed here. In addition, 19 other people were injured, five of them seriously. After the collision, the driver backed up and turned into a cross street. Police arrested him shortly afterwards. The course of events is documented on several amateur videos.

The then 20-year-old James Alex Fields Jr. was identified as the driver of the vehicle . Two hours before the crime, Fields was photographed with a wooden sign of the group in the neo-Nazi group Vanguard America . After his arrest, the group stated that Fields was not a member. The shields were given to all interested participants. A former Fields teacher told the media after the crime that he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and had been prescribed appropriate antipsychotic medication. Fields himself told a judge that he was being treated for bipolar disorder . Fields comes from a difficult background. His father died in a traffic accident before he was born, and his mother's parents were killed in an extended suicide by their father. At school, Fields had attracted attention for admiring Hitler. For the 2016 presidential election, he had indicated a party support for the Republicans in the usual US voter registration .

The then US Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the act met the criteria for domestic terrorism . On December 14, 2017, Fields was charged with murder ('first degree murder'), among other charges. On December 7, 2018, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Heather Heyers. He was also imprisoned for another 419 years for bodily harm in eight cases and a hit and run.

After the attack

Controversies over reactions from Trump

Trump's first statement

US President Trump condemned the violence in a press release; this has been coming "for a long time from many sides, from many sides".

Trump's remarks have been criticized, including from among the Republicans, as inappropriate and unspecific. In contrast to his usual style, he says “in this case, the problem is not by name”. As Cory Gardner said: “Mr. President - we must call evil by its name. (...) That was domestic terrorism. " Brian Schatz commented on Trump's statement:" It is not too much to ask to have a president who clearly condemns the Nazis. "One FAZ commentator wrote:" When it comes to right-wing extremists, it becomes whole quietly. It's the ghosts he's calling. ”One CNN commentator rated Trump's statement as“ incredibly unpresidential ”; a Washington Post commenter wrote, "Trump babbles in the face of tragedy."

US Senator John McCain wrote, among other things, in a statement:

“ White supremacists and neo-Nazis are, by definition, opposed to American patriotism and the ideals that define us as a people and make our nation special. [...] As we mourn the tragedy that has occurred in Charlottesville, American patriots of all colors and creeds must come together to defy those who raise the flag of hatred and bigotry . "

Anthony Scaramucci criticized Trump's statement ("I would not have recommended him give this statement") and said that Trump should be much tougher in dealing with white nationalists. The influence of White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon is hindering the President's work.

Kenneth Frazier , CEO of the pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. , announced in response to Trump's statement that he would step down from a manufacturing council . He wanted to "show your colors against intolerance and extremism". As a result, the CEOs of Intel and Under Armor , Brian Krzanich and Kevin Plank, also resigned from their positions on this industrial council.

Trump's second opinion

On August 14, two days after the attack, Trump responded to the criticism and made a second statement: Racism is an evil, and anyone who uses violence on its behalf is a criminal. Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazis are "repulsive" and act against everything that Americans would value. Such hateful groups have no place in America. Trump read his manuscript. Questions were not allowed. The Washington correspondent of the Guardian wrote that Trump had the statement obviously reluctantly ( reluctant read).

Trump's third opinion

On August 15, Trump issued a third statement on the riots and the attack. He reiterated his statement from the first statement that both sides were responsible for the escalation, using the term "alt-left", a previously practically unknown political term. He, Trump, is certain that not all of the participants in the right-wing extremist demonstration were neo-Nazis, but also "very decent people". He does not know whether the deadly vehicle attack could be described as terror. Jim Acosta, who attended the press conference as CNN 's 'Senior White House Correspondent', said the president was "completely derailed" and it was shocking to watch.

Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke tweeted shortly after Trump's third statement: "Thank you President Trump for your honesty & courage to tell the truth about #Charlottesville & condemn the leftist terrorists in BLM / Antifa".

Richard Trumka, President of the most important US trade union, the AFL-CIO , was the fifth member to leave the Manufacturing Council . Trumka accused Trump of "revoking his forced declaration on the previous day's incidents with his latest remarks." Trumka went on to say: "We cannot be on the advisory board of a president who tolerates intolerance and domestic terrorism." Before that, before the third Trump's statement, Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing , also resigned from the advisory board. After Trumka, five other advisors left the board.

The New York Times rated Trump's claims as a "significant reinforcement" for White Supremacy officials . The Washington Post wrote that Trump's rhetoric and behavior on the second and third statements could hardly have been more different.

Senator Marco Rubio (Republican) said ideas of white superiority were repulsive. These groups should not be put into perspective. Republican members of the House of Representatives, e.g. B. Tim Scott (South Carolina), Charlie Dent (Pennsylvania) and Steve Scalise (Louisiana) sharply criticized Trump after his statement; The German Federal Minister of Justice Heiko Maas also criticized it. Late-night show presenters on the evening of August 15 sharply criticized Trump; ABC presenter Jimmy Kimmel z. B. said: "I feel like I can say this with reasonable certainty: The president is completely unhinged."

Former CIA chief John O. Brennan wrote in an open letter that Trump's words and the attitude they represent were "a national disgrace"; in his words, Trump exposed “national security and our common future to great risk”.

George HW Bush , the 41st US President, and his son George W. Bush , the 43rd US President, issued a joint statement on August 16, 2017, condemning the incidents in Charlottesville and calling on Americans to resist hatred and fanaticism on. America must "reject ethnic zealotry, anti-Semitism and hatred always and in every form".

Dissolution of two economic bodies by Trump

After several CEOs of companies that stood by the US government in an advisory capacity resigned from the Manufacturing Council in response to Trump's statements, Trump dissolved it and another body, the Strategy & Policy Forum . The resolution took place through a message on Twitter. As reported by the US media, at least one of the bodies was about to dissolve itself. The New York Times and Washington Post wrote that Trump had only anticipated the inevitable in order to be seen as a doer.

Other behavior of Trump after the events

On August 15, Trump shared a photo montage on Twitter of a train labeled "Trump" ramming a man whose face is hidden by a CNN logo. After a few minutes, the US President deleted the picture again.

On August 17, Trump made further statements; he did not deviate from his statement two days earlier. In three tweets, he pleaded for civil war memorials; he called it foolish to dismantle statues of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson .

More reactions

Former US President Barack Obama quoted Nelson Mandela in a tweet :

"No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion ...".

With more than 4.5 million likes, the tweet became the most liked tweet in the history of the short message service.

US Secretary of State Tillerson said in a TV interview that he did not share Trump's views on racism and violence.

On September 12, 2017, the US Congress unanimously passed a resolution calling on President Trump to clearly condemn right-wing violence. The US Senate had previously voted in favor.

The Department of Homeland Security had registered an increase in violent activities by anti-group groups in their own country since 2016 and described this in 2017 as "domestic terrorist violence". However, some judicial officials also attributed the backlash from anti-group groups to the rhetoric of US President Donald Trump, who blamed the counter-demonstrators for the deadly right-wing extremist violence in Charlottesville.

Protests and commemorations

The day after the attack, there were protests against right-wing extremist violence in numerous cities in the United States and in front of the White House . The demonstrators called on US President Trump to clearly distance himself from the representatives of the white supremacy ideology. There were also memorial events for the fatality, also outside the USA.

  • Protests in front of the White House

  • Commemoration at the crime scene

  • Memorial event in Berlin 2017

Investigation report

Investigator Timothy J. Heaphy, appointed at the end of August 2017, submitted an investigation report in early December 2017. It states, among other things, that poor planning and coordination by those responsible in the city represent “a failure in one of the central government functions, the protection of fundamental rights”. The security forces “also failed to maintain order and to protect citizens from danger, injury and death. Charlottesville did not uphold any of these principles on August 12th, which has led this community to deeply distrust the government. "

Helicopter crash

When a Bell 407 helicopter crashed during a police operation on the fringes of the event, the two occupants were killed. The first 911 emergency call arrived at around 4:44 p.m. , the crew did not give an emergency signal. The helicopter had an accident in 2010, presumably due to poor maintenance.

literature

  • Hawes Spencer: Summer of Hate: Charlottesville, USA. University of Virginia Press, Charlottesville 2019, ISBN 978-0-8139-4368-8 .

Web links

Commons : Unite the Right rally  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Footnotes

  1. ^ Hawes Spencer, Sheryl Gay Stolberg: White Nationalists March on University of Virginia. In: nytimes.com . August 11, 2017 (English).
  2. ↑ Hubert Wetzel: In America a culture war rages over equestrian statues. In: sueddeutsche.de . 13th August 2017.
  3. ↑ Right and radical. In: Spiegel Online. August 14, 2017.
  4. ↑ Meg Wagner: 'Blood and soil': Protesters chant Nazi slogan in Charlottesville. In: CNN.com , August 12, 2017; Robin DiAngelo: White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism. Beacon Press, Boston 2018, p. 28 f. ; Barry J. Balleck: Entry Antifascist Movement (Antifa). In: ders .: Modern American Extremism and Domestic Terrorism: An Encyclopedia of Extremists and Extremist Groups. ABC-Clio, Santa Barbara, CA 2018, p. 16 f.
  5. ^ State of emergency as white nationalist rally in Charlottesville turns violent. In: CBS News , August 12, 2017; Petula Dvorak: Trump lit the torches of white supremacy in Charlottesville. We must extinguish them. In: The Washington Post , August 13, 2017; Daniel Dillmann: How Trump courted the Nazis. In: Frankfurter Rundschau , August 12, 2018.
  6. ↑ a b Police in Charlottesville criticized for slow response to violent demonstrations. In: washingtonpost.com
  7. ↑ Man Charged After White Nationalist Rally in Charlottesville Ends in Deadly Violence. In: nytimes.com
  8. ↑ a b Trump's "lax" reaction enrages Republicans. In: welt.de , accessed on August 13, 2017.
  9. ^ Tom Porter: Who Are the White Nationalist Groups That Demonstrated in Charlottesville? In: Newsweek . August 13, 2017, accessed August 15, 2017 .
  10. ↑ Charlottesville's 'Alt-right': A Who's Who of Far Right Groups Who Think the 'White Race' Is in Danger. In: Haaretz .com , accessed on August 15, 2017.
  11. ↑ Farah Stockman: "Who Were the Counterprotesters in Charlottesville?" New York Times August 14, 2017
  12. ^ Aline Barros: "Who Were the Groups Protesting in Charlottesville?" VOA of August 14, 2017
  13. ↑ Christina Caron: Heather Heyer, Charlottesville Victim, Is Recalled as 'a Strong Woman'. In: nytimes.com. August 13, 2017, accessed on August 14, 2017 .
  14. ^ 1 dead, 19 injured after car plows into protesters in Charlottesville. In: cbsnews.com , accessed August 12, 2017.
  15. ↑ A car plows into protesters in Charlottesville. Updated 13 Aug 2018, 3:14 am , video of the incident on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation website
  16. ↑ a b Charlottesville car attack suspect suffered from schizophrenia and idolized Hitler, says ex-teacher. Independent.ie, August 14, 2017, accessed April 23, 2019 .
  17. ↑ James Alex Fields' trial in deadly Charlottesville white nationalist rally set to begin. NBC News, November 26, 2018, accessed April 23, 2019 .
  18. ^ Suspect in Charlottesville Attack Had Displayed Troubling Behavior. The New York Times, August 13, 2017, accessed April 23, 2019 .
  19. ↑ 911 calls, records reveal tumultuous past for accused Charlottesville driver, family. Cincinnati.com, August 15, 2017, accessed April 23, 2019 .
  20. ↑ Tom McKee, Hillary Lake, Jake Ryle, Sarah Rankin | Associated Press: Charlottesville car attack suspect James Fields Jr. was 'very infatuated' with Nazis, former teacher says . In: WCPO . August 13, 2017 ( wcpo.com [accessed August 13, 2017]).
  21. ↑ Sessions Says 'Evil Attack' in Virginia Is Domestic Terrorism. In: nytimes.com , accessed August 14, 2017.
  22. ↑ Charge upgraded to first-degree murder for driver accused of ramming Charlottesville crowd
  23. ↑ washingtonpost.com December 7, 2018: Self-professed neo-Nazi James A. Fields Jr. convicted of first-degree murder in car-ramming that killed one, injured dozens
  24. ↑ a b Ben Jacobs: Donald Trump under fire after failing to denounce Virginia white supremacists. In: theguardian.com. August 13, 2017, accessed August 13, 2017 .
  25. ↑ Three dead in the riots in Virginia. In: zeit.de , accessed on August 13, 2017.
  26. ↑ Donald Trump's disturbing whisper. In: FAZ.net , August 13, 2017
  27. ↑ Chris Cillizza: Donald Trump's incredibly unpresidential statement on Charlottesville. In: CNN.com
  28. ↑ Trump babbles in the face of tragedy. In: washingtonpost.com , August 12, 2017
  29. ↑ mccain.senate.gov
  30. ↑ translated for example: “White racists and neo-Nazis are mutually opposed to American patriotism and the ideals that define us as a people and make our nation special. As we mourn the tragedy that happened in Charlottesville, American patriots of all colors and creeds must come together to oppose those who raise the flag of hatred and fanaticism. "
  31. ↑ Scaramucci criticizes Trump's Charlottesville statements. In: zeit.de
  32. ↑ The next Trump adviser throws in the towel. In: welt.de , August 14, 2017.
  33. ↑ Trump scoffs at the Merck boss. In: FAZ.net , August 14, 2017.
  34. ↑ US bosses leave Trump's industrial council. In: spiegel.de , August 15, 2017.
  35. ↑ "Racism is bad". In: zeit.de , accessed on August 14, 2017.
  36. ↑ sueddeutsche.de August 16, 2017: What Trump overlooks when he defends nationalists
  37. ↑ Republicans denounce bigotry after Donald Trump's latest Charlottesville remarks (quote: an apparently reluctant statement )
  38. ↑ Marc Pitzke: The trivialization of hatred . In: Spiegel Online . August 16, 2017 (full text translation and analysis).
  39. ↑ a b Trump again accuses both sides . In: tagesschau.de . Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  40. ↑ Frauke Steffens: Trump "completely derailed". In: FAZ.net . August 16, 2017. Retrieved August 26, 2017 .
  41. ^ A b Michael D. Shear, Maggie Haberman: Defiant, Trump Laments Assault on Culture and Revives a Bogus Pershing Story. In: nytimes.com. August 17, 2017, accessed on August 26, 2017 .
  42. ↑ aar / AFP / AP: Protest against Trump: head of the most important US union leaves industrial council. In: Spiegel Online . August 16, 2017. Retrieved August 26, 2017 .
  43. ↑ ap: Another company boss leaves the White House advisory board. In: handelsblatt.com . August 15, 2017. Retrieved August 26, 2017 .
  44. ↑ Trump Gives White Supremacists an Unequivocal Boost . In: nytimes.com . Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  45. ↑ Marc Fisher: Trump's rhetorical ricochet on Charlottesville highlights basic truths about the president. In: washingtonpost.com. August 15, 2017, accessed August 26, 2017 .
  46. ↑ Reuters / dpa / Ybel .: Violent criticism of Trump statements from all camps. In: FAZ.net . August 16, 2017. Retrieved August 26, 2017 .
  47. ↑ Emily Yahr: 'Clinically insane,' '7th circle of hell': Late-night hosts process Trump's news conference. In: washingtonpost.com. August 16, 2017, accessed on August 26, 2017 .
  48. ↑ Zachary Cohen: John Brennan slams Trump's 'despicable' comments in letter to CNN's Wolf Blitzer. In: edition.cnn.com. August 16, 2017. Retrieved August 26, 2017 .
  49. ↑ alri./rad./dpa/Reuters: Growing horror at Trump statements. In: FAZ.net . August 17, 2017. Retrieved August 26, 2017 .
  50. ↑ Markus Kollberg: Bushs criticize Trump's statements on Charlottesville. In: FAZ.net . August 17, 2017. Retrieved August 26, 2017 .
  51. ↑ Full text of the declaration: America must always reject racial bigotry, anti-Semitism, and hatred in all forms. As we pray for Charlottesville, we are reminded of the fundamental truths recorded by that city's most prominent citizen in the Declaration of Independence: we are all created equal and endowed by our Creator with unalienable rights. We know these truths to be everlasting because we have seen the decency and greatness of our country. Quoted from Both Bush presidents just spoke out on Charlottesville - and sound nothing like Trump .
  52. ↑ Trump dissolves advisory bodies , on focus.de, accessed on August 16, 2017.
  53. ↑ Tweet from August 16, 2017
  54. ^ SPIEGEL ONLINE, Hamburg Germany: After criticism of Charlottesville statements: Off for Trump's advisory boards - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Politics. Retrieved August 16, 2017 .
  55. ↑ Twitter: Trump spreads violence cartoon against CNN. In: Spiegel Online . August 15, 2017. Retrieved August 26, 2017 .
  56. ↑ Tweet from Obama about Charlottesville breaks Twitter record . In: Spiegel Online . 16th August 2017.
  57. ↑ sueddeutsche.de August 28, 2017: US Secretary of State distances himself from Trump
  58. ↑ washingtonpost.com August 27, 2017: Tillerson says Trump 'speaks for himself' on values
  59. ↑ nytimes.com: Does Trump Represent US Values? "The President Speaks for Himself," Tillerson Says
  60. ↑ full text (pdf)
  61. ↑ zeit.de: Trump should stand up against right-wing extremism
  62. ↑ cnn.com
  63. ↑ Lucy Pasha-Robinson: Antifa: US security agencies label group 'domestic terrorists'. The Independent, September 4, 2017
  64. ↑ Demonstrators gather in downtown LA to protest Charlottesville violence. In: latimes.com , accessed August 14, 2017.
  65. ↑ [1] , hunton.com ( Memento from December 3, 2017 in the Internet Archive ), see also English Wikipedia
  66. ↑ abcnews / AP December 1, 2017: Report: Officer safety put ahead of public safety at rally
  67. ↑ Chaos in Charlottesville: Helicopter crash on the verge of demo in Virginia. In: welt.de . August 12, 2017. Retrieved August 26, 2017 .
  68. ^ Rachel Weiner: Virginia state troopers killed in helicopter crash monitoring Charlottesville clash. In: washingtonpost.com. August 13, 2017, accessed on August 26, 2017 .
  69. ^ Lori Aratani: Helicopter involved in Charlottesville crash was in previous incident. In: The Washington Post. August 15, 2017, accessed August 17, 2017 .

Remarks

  1. ↑ The English language Wikipedia has an article on the equestrian statue under Robert Edward Lee Sculpture