“Unite The Right” Rally Reflects A Growing Threat Of Extremism In America

Unite the Right is expected to be the largest white supremacist rally in recent history, reflecting a dangerous surge of extremist ideology in American society.

Residents and city officials in Charlottesville, Virginia are preparing for what may be the largest public gathering of white supremacists in at least a decade.

The so-called “Unite the Right” rally, which is scheduled to take place from 12–5pm on August 12, will bring together a variety of far-right and alt-right extremists, ranging from anti-Semitic and anti-immigrant hate groups to neo-Nazis, white nationalists, neo-Confederates, and members of the Ku Klux Klan, anti-government militias, and newer groups like the Proud Boys, American Guard and the Fraternal Order of Alt Knights.

While the alt-right has tried to rebrand white supremacy by distancing themselves from explicitly racist groups like the KKK, they seem to be diverging from their usual strategy by openly aligning with neo-Nazis and other known hate groups at Saturday’s rally.

The event’s organizer, Jason Kessler, is a white supremacist and newly sworn-in member of the alt-right Proud Boys who believes that the proportional increase of minorities in America is equivalent to “white genocide.” In a recent interview, Kessler said “the number one thing” he wants from Saturday’s rally is “to destigmatize Pro-White advocacy.”