Over the weekend, beginning Friday night, all hell broke loose in the streets of Charlottesville, Virginia. White supremacists were expressing violence through protests. Not only were the protesters expressed their outrage through plaques and torches, the situation worsened when one white supremacist drove a car and rammed into the counter-protesters. Here are some of the breakdown on what really happened:
White supremacy
Unsettling acts seen on the city streets lasted through the weekend. The parade once composed by small groups of people grew enlarged with supporters of “white supremacy” and figures that call upon memories of a Nazi Germany and the Ku Klux Klan, carrying torches around.
It is a terrifying scenario to imagine, that has its origins linked to the presidential campaign, way before the election: by propagating the idea of “America for the Americans” and further making controversial decisions as a ruler, such as to facilitate and increase deportation of irregular citizens (not caring to their background of domestic violence and war zones), Trump unconsciously gave a green sign for intolerance to run free.
Furthermore, other than a simple gathering, the groups seemed scarily organized, almost as a paramilitary organization by carrying axes, shields and also flags - a symbol of the past, that can mentally inflict fear to other people.
How it was handled
The lack of control that accompanied the situation caused difficulties for the police force to act, as Virginia’s governor, Terry McAuliffe, explained saying the militia had better equipment than state police.
Consequently, by the end, the option was to inquire the damages and admit to the terror that took over a small city for an entire weekend, resulting in irreparable losses: the murder of Heather Heyer and another 19 people injured.
The President's reaction
Despite the facts, it took the President until yesterday, August 14, 2017, to release a direct statement saying “Racism is evil” and that all people are created as equals, a principle which founded America’s constitution.
Furthermore, he added that criminal acts will be investigated and the violators will be taken into justice. Hopefully, the weekend has made clear for The President and everyone else that segregation is not a valuable option.
Social media exposure
With this news, people have taken it into social media to expose the attendees of the rally in ensuring that everyone knows their identities. Among the famous celebrities who did so were Jennifer Lawrence by posting photos on her Facebook account.
