The Unite the Right Rally and the Downfall of Jason Kessler

In August 2017, Jason Kessler, a former Proud Boys recruit and Charlottesville resident, organized the infamous Unite the Right rally. The event attracted white nationalists from across the country, leading to violent clashes with counter-protesters and ultimately resulting in one death. In the aftermath, many witnesses came forward to share their accounts of what they witnessed that day.

Kessler's plans for the rally were initially met with resistance by the city of Charlottesville, which rejected his permit application due to concerns over public safety. This decision led Kessler to file a lawsuit against the city, but ultimately he withdrew it and instead traveled to Washington D.C. to mark the one-year anniversary of the event.

In the years following Unite the Right, Kessler's stature in the white nationalist movement began to collapse. Many other leaders blamed him for the rally's failures, and his attempts to revive his reputation were met with failure. His sequel events, including a planned rally on the anniversary of Unite the Right, drew only a handful of extremists.

Some white nationalists even took to social media to sabotage Kessler's efforts, suggesting that neo-Nazis would attend the rally in an attempt to discredit him further. Many of those who attended the first Unite the Right event publicly distanced themselves from Kessler as well.

The lack of support for Kessler's events was a stark contrast to his initial success in organizing Unite the Right. At the time, he had become a nationally recognized figure and gained attention for his efforts to promote white nationalist ideology. However, his downfall serves as a reminder that even those who seek to spread hate and intolerance can ultimately lose their influence.

Today, Kessler is no longer a prominent figure in the white nationalist movement, and his attempts to revive his reputation have been met with failure. His story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of extremism and the importance of standing against hate and intolerance.

Charlottesville witness statements