SHUT DOWN

Charlottesville Blocks Unite the Right ‘Anniversary’ Rally

The far-right rally’s organizer tried planning a second version of the fatal demonstration.

The city of Charlottesville, Virginia, on Monday denied Unite the Right organizer Jason Kessler’s application to host an “anniversary” rally at the location of an event that turned deadly in August. “The proposed demonstration or special event will present a danger to public safety,” the city wrote in a letter denying Kessler’s request. In August, white supremacists and members of various far-right groups converged on Charlottesville for Kessler’s Unite the Right rally. One neo-Nazi drove a car into a crowd of counter-protesters at high speed, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer. Two state police officers also died in a helicopter accident while monitoring the event. Kessler’s second rally would have taken place at the same location as the first Unite the Right Rally, one year later.