Dear John,

Four years ago today, hundreds of right-wing extremists descended on Charlottesville, Virginia, to protest the planned removal of the Robert E. Lee statue from the city’s center. The “Unite the Right” rally was the largest and most violent public assembly of white supremacists in decades.

It was profoundly shocking.

For two days, we saw extremists from at least 39 states march, chanting “Jews will not replace us” and using vile, racist language. On August 12, the hatred turned deadly as one of the marchers drove his car into a crowd, killing counter-protester Heather Heyer. We have fought back against the neo-Nazis and other right-wing extremists who spewed their hatred in Charlottesville, and we will not back down.

Tracking the Hatred and Demanding Accountability

ADL’s Center on Extremism has tracked the splintering of factions since they took part in the Unite the Right event — from groups like Identity Evropa that fell apart to others like Vanguard America, whose Patriot Front offshoot has become one of the most prolific spreaders of hateful white supremacist propaganda.

The new ADL report also examines how this assembly of extremists was a harbinger of things to come. Our researchers reviewed the similarities and differences between the Charlottesville gathering and more recent extremist activity like the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

A key push for accountability is Sines vs Kessler, a landmark case filed on behalf of Charlottesville-area residents against dozens of alleged organizers of the deadly rally. ADL is a supporter of this case; since 2019 we have been providing assistance to Integrity First for America (IFA), the nonpartisan nonprofit that is leading the lawsuit. The long-awaited trial looks set to begin this October.

I hope you will join me tomorrow, August 12 at 2 pm ET, for an Instagram Live conversation with Amy Spitalnick, Executive Director of IFA, as we reflect on what took place four years ago, and its effect on the fight against extremism today. You can take part at @adl_national.

There is no single ‘cure’ to the threat we face today, so we must all — you, me, government, tech platforms, law enforcement, nonprofits and other community partners — play our role in sending a powerful message that we cannot give in to violence and hate.

Thank you for joining us on the frontlines.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Greenblatt

CEO and National Director

ADL