Last year, the first Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville horrified us. The terrorizing display of racism resulted in the death of 32-year-old counterprotestor Heather Heyer, who was fatally struck by a car driven by a Neo-Nazi sympathizer. The aftermath of the rally was made worse by our president, who blamed both sides for the violence.
This year, far-right organizers publicly predicted a turnout of at least several hundred people in Washington, D.C. for “Unite the Right 2.”
About two dozen white nationalists showed up, reports CNN. And they were vastly outnumbered by peaceful counterprotestors.
The violence and hate in Charlottesville last year wasn’t just race-related. A viral video showed protestors chanting “F**k you faggots.”
LGBTQ+ activists took a stand at Unite the Right 2 today, and we’re kind of in love with a group called “ResisDance.”
From their Facebook page:
“While nazis and white supremacists spread an ideology of racism and genocide, we are here to fiercely and unapologetically celebrate our communities and our existence – and of course drown them out with bumpin’ beats and lots of rainbow biodegradable confetti!”
“As these individuals descend on our city, now is the time to show up and let them know that their legacy of violence is over. We're trans. We're queer. We're fabulous. We're sick of your Nazi sh*t. Don't f*ck with us.”
Thanks in part to ResisDance and other inspiring counterprotestors, Unite the Right 2 was, in no uncertain terms, a disaster. Pathetic. This thing bombed harder than Solo: A Star Wars Story or A Wrinkle in Time. (yikes!)
Here’s all of what happened: about 20 bigots showed up and were so overwhelmed by resisters that they “marched” early and were finished by 5:30 p.m.; that’s when the marching was originally scheduled to begin.
Back to Heather Heyer. Her last Facebook post before she was killed read: “If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.”
Heyer was a waitress, bartender and paralegal known to her friends as an outspoken supporter of human rights and equality. At her funeral, her mother told hundreds of mourners to turn anger into righteous action.”
Spike Lee’s latest film, critically acclaimed BlacKkKlansman, is dedicated to Heather Heyer’s memory.
Resist.
Check out ResisDance on Facebook here.