Jason Kessler tried to hold a news conference a day after a
peaceful protester was run over by a car driven by a far-right supporter who
had attended the blogger’s rally. But booing from a large crowd forced him to
stop and he had to be escorted away by state troopers
Jason Kessler, the organiser of Saturday’s far-right rally
in Charlottesville, was chased away by protesters in the city on Sunday afternoon
after he tried to give a press conference.
He tried to hold a joint media appearance with the
“alt-right” leader Richard Spencer in the city centre. The two had previously
distanced themselves from James Fields, the accused killer of civil rights campaigner
Heather Heyes, 32.
As soon as Kessler emerged in the forecourt of
Charlottesville’s city hall, a crowd of more than 300 who had gathered along
with the waiting media began shouting “murderer”, “terrorist” and “nazi”.
As he approached the cluster of media microphones, the crowd
chanted “shame” in unison. At the microphones, Kessler became increasingly
animated, but was inaudible.
After a few minutes, the crowd rushed the improvised podium.
Kessler fled and made his escape with the protection of waiting state police in
riot gear.
Police escort Jason Kessler away from his press conference
in Charlottesville. Photograph: Tasos Katopodis/EPA
Behind the line of police, the crowd resumed chanting “Nazis
go home”, and: “We are unstoppable, another world is possible.”
After about 15 minutes, when it was clear Kessler had left
the downtown area, police and the crowd dispersed. In a nearby ice cream shop,
Joe Montoya, a local resident who had been vociferous in the crowd, said he was
glad the town had prevented Kessler from speaking. “This is what our town is
like,” he said. “Charlottesville is a diverse place. We come together at times
like this. Love wins.”
A vigil due to be held in the city on Sunday night in memory
of Heather Heyer, the 32-year-old woman killed when a car ploughed into
counter-demonstrators on Saturday, had to be cancelled after a “credible threat
from white supremacists”.
Organisers Solidarity Cville said they could not guarantee
the safety of those attending so instead local activists and clergy members
would give their speeches through a Facebook live stream.
A spokesman for Solidarity Cville, Andy Stepanian, said it
was “not limited to online threats, there were real world threats”.
A community remembrance event took place on 4th and Water
streets, near the location where Heyer was killed.
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