White supremacists are planning to demonstrate in front of the White House on Sunday (Aug. 12), the anniversary of last year’s Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, which resulted in the death of a counter protester and shocked the nation.
The group's goal, according to their website, is to demonstrate for what they call “white civil rights.”
In a counter protest to the Unite the Right rally, a coalition of leftist groups will also be in Washington on Sunday. Their goal, according to their website, is to unite against fascism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, white supremacy and state violence. That demonstration's organizers are also calling for protests across the United States and at U.S. embassies around the world.
A year ago, the violence erupted in a national debate about whether Confederate symbols of the U.S. Civil War memorialize past leaders and dead soldiers or invoke white supremacy and the Confederacy’s acceptance of the slavery of blacks.
A white nationalist protest over the planned removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee turned deadly when counterprotester Heather Heyer, 32, was killed by a car driven into a crowd.
Information on the two rallies planned for Sunday:
Protest: Unite the Right 2 rally
Organized by: John Kessler, founder of the white nationalist group Unity and Security for America. He also was the organizer of the original Unite the Right rally.
Protest site: Lafayette Park, located directly north of the White House
Duration: 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Expected attendance: 400
Focus of protest: Pro-white activism and "white civil rights."
The Counterprotest: Still Here, Still Strong rally
Organized by: The Shut It Down DC coalition of leftist groups
Protest site: Freedom Plaza, roughly a half-mile southeast of Lafayette Park
Duration: 12-3 p.m.
Expected attendance: 500-600
Focus of protest: A united front opposing hate, borders, prison, and the vision of Unite the Right.
