On August 11 and 12, 2017, the Unite the Right rally occurred in Charlottesville, Virginia. This was one of the largest, most violent gatherings in the United States in decades. The rally brought together various racist, antisemitic, white nationalist, and white supremacist groups, including the alt-right, neo-Nazis, and the Ku Klux Klan. Jason Kessler, the rally’s organizer, claimed that the rally’s goal was to save the statue of the Confederate general Robert E. Lee.

In the months leading up to the rally, the Charlottesville organizers utilized Discord (a social media platform used by video gamers), other online platforms, and in-person meetings to recruit others to the cause and methodically plan how the violence would unfold. Their plans were meticulous (precise). In private chat groups that summer, they broke down everything: (1) which weapons to bring; (2) how they were going to “crack some skulls”; (3) and whether they could claim self-defense if they drove over protesters with their cars. And that’s exactly what they did.

During the rally, hundreds of people came to Charlottesville to march and show their antisemitic and racist views. Protesters chanted “you will not replace us,” “Jews will not replace us,” and “blood and soil,” directly echoing the chants and slogans used in Nazi Germany. Many brought full battle gear, including torches, weapons, shields, and flags with Nazi or Confederate insignia. Many openly gave Nazi salutes during the marches. There were numerous fights with counter-protesters throughout the day. The violence ended with a deadly attack on counter-protesters, when a car driven by a rally attendee plowed into a crowd, killing one person and injuring nineteen others. The Virginia governor then declared a state of emergency and the rally disbanded. Afterward, the organizers called the weekend “a huge moral victory.”