White nationalists in the USA - what they demand and who they are

The second “United Right March” took place in Washington, an action of white nationalists, which attracted about 20 people. Nearby, several hundred anti-fascists held a retaliatory action.

Photo: YouTube screenshot /
RT America

Both of them gathered opposite the White House - in Lafayette Park, which was blocked by the police, the correspondent reports Bi-bi-si in Washington Natalka Pisnya. They took to the streets in memory of events a year ago in the city of Charlottesville, Virginia. Then, in the course of several days of clashes between the ultra-right and their opponents, a woman was killed and 19 people suffered as a result of a vehicle being hit by a group of anti-fascists.

Heather Heyer's death was 32 of the year.

Photo: YouTube screenshot /
VICE News

Sunday's United Right rally at the White House was organized by right-wing activist Jason Kessler. He was also among the organizers of nationalist protests in Charlottesville in August 2017.

Previously, Kessler said that about 400 people should come to the right-wing rally. In a conversation with CNN reporters, he attributed the small number of people who came to “logistical difficulties.”

Significantly more anti-fascists came: according to a BBC correspondent, 300-400 people.

The action turned out to be transient: soon after it began pouring heavy rain, and the nationalists began to diverge. Police escorted them to the subway, reports CNN.

Jason Kessler. Photo: YouTube screenshot /
VICE News

Details from the correspondent of the Russian service BBC Natalki Pisni:

“Opponents of racism began to gather in the Freedom Plaza area near the White House from the very morning: girls on bicycles, young people in yarmulkes and with posters, elderly people with portraits of Heather Hyer, who died a year ago in Charlottesville.

In terms of percentage, there were noticeably more white Americans speaking out against racism than African Americans who came. The protest grew quickly - by noon, those protesting the appearance of a group of nationalists in the center of the American capital exceeded a thousand.

The ultra-right, waited for dinner: about 20 people under the leadership of Jason Kessler gathered ahead of time at the Vienna metro station distant from the center.

Kessler told waiting reporters that his group stood for free speech and “against violations of white civil rights,” once again offered his condolences to the family of the deceased Heather Hyer, noting that he saw shortcomings in the work of the police, and boarded the train.

Photo: YouTube screenshot /
RT America

He and his supporters were put in a separate carriage, and at each station passengers were warned about the approach of a train with ultranationalists, advising them to stay away from the last carriage. In the center of the city, a crowd of protesters was already waiting for the nationalists - they were separated by 20 meters and a dense cordon of police. To shouts of “Nazis, go home” and “take off your masks,” Kessler and his supporters slowly walked toward the White House.

The composition of the group of opponents of Nazism has noticeably changed - girls, pensioners, and students with posters were joined by antifa dressed in black with eggs and black umbrellas in their hands. They used the latter as shields when journalists asked them questions. “We’re not here to talk, our actions will speak for themselves,” a guy dressed in black with a scarf tied over his face told me. His friend added: “We won’t hurt anyone first, but they (ultra-nationalists) should know that they are not welcome in Washington.”

It started to rain, Kessler finished speaking much earlier than planned, and the police escort tried to pull him and his comrades into the protected area.

Eggs, bottles and flares flew at them. The antifa crowd, having overturned a couple of trash cans and promising to “one day meet” the nationalists on the street, gradually began to thin out. The rain was getting heavier. The police remained on the ground.

Photo: YouTube screenshot /
RT America

History of conflict

Charlottesville is a small, largely liberal town that served as the capital of the Southern Union during the American Civil War.

The conflict broke out due to the decision of the city authorities to demolish the monument to General Robert Lee, who commanded the confederates who were defeated in the 1861-65 Civil War.

In August 2017, people began to come to the city under the banner of the “alt-right.” They stated that they intended to hold a march called “Unite the Right” in order to “defend the history of the southern states and America.”

Photo: YouTube screenshot /
VICE News

As correspondents from the scene reported, it was a rather motley crowd of the so-called militia, racists, neo-Nazis and simply sympathizers. Many brought with them flags of the Confederacy, the union of southern states that defended the institution of slavery during the Civil War.

Resist the right left hundreds of people. The conflict has reached the point that the authorities had to declare a state of emergency in some areas of the city.

US President Donald Trump said at the time that both parties to the conflict were responsible for what happened, accusing both right-wing and left-wing activists in the unrest.

Read also on ForumDaily:

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White nationalists said that Charlottesville was only the beginning

Twitter identifies white nationalists who protested in Charlottesville

The "White Lives Matter" movement in the United States is considered hateful.

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