Opposition Grows to Upcoming DC White Civil Rights Rally

By Micha Green, AFRO Washington, D.C. Editor, [email protected]

As White supremacists rally for their “civil rights”- although it’s not clear which of their rights are at stake- the District’s local Black Lives Matter group, along with Shut it Down DC will be hosting a counter-protest.

In June the National Park Service approved the application for the White Civil Rights Rally to have a demonstration in Lafayette Park near the White House for August 11 and 12.  Since then, Black Lives Matter DC and Shut it Down DC have been working together to counter the narrative of the White supremacists and ultimately “confront fascism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, White supremacy, and state violence on August 10-12,” according to a statement feature on the Shut it Down DC website.

For Black Lives Matter DC and Shut it Down DC this counter-protest is a way of speaking up for those affected by the bloody day last August in Charlottesville, Virginia during the Unite the Right rally which resulted in the death of Heather Heyer, a 32-year-old White woman fighting against the supremacists, and injured and traumatized many more, such as Corey Long and Deandre Harris.

“This is for Heather Heyer, Corey Long, Deandre Harris, ICE abolition, open borders, dismantling the prison industrial complex, and ending the settler colonial system,” wrote Shut It Down DC.

According to The Root Long was shot at and Harris was brutally beaten at the rally, yet they both faced charges.  Harris’ charges were eventually dropped, but Long was sentenced to 360 days in jail for disorderly conduct when using a flame thrower as self defense (even though he only had to serve 20 of those days).

Jason Kessler, leader of Unite the Right, told WUSA 9 last month that the “White Civil Rights” marchers are rallying “to talk about the Civil Rights abuse that happened in Charlottesville, Va. last year.” Now the counter-protesters are gearing to hold them accountable for the violence and outrage last August 12.

“Jason Kessler, Richard Spencer, and the Trump Adminstration are all implicated in the murder of Heather Heyer,” Shut it Down DC wrote.

Black Lives Matter DC representative, Makia Green told Fox 5  why she felt the counter-protest was important.  “We are stronger than they are, that they are resistant to change and to progress that Black Lives Matter has been doing over the last four years with Black liberation and fighting racism and fascism,” Green said. “So it’s important that we let D.C. and rest of the world know that we are not going to stand for the hate.”