Unite the Right 2 Unite the Right 2018's website
Demonstrators are gathering on Sunday, August 12, for a Unite the Right Rally 2018 (or Unite the Right Rally 2). This is taking place on the one-year anniversary of the original Unite the Right protest, which hundreds of counterprotesters descended upon to voice their dissent. During the event, a driver slammed into a crowd of protesters, leaving Heather Heyer dead. James Alex Fields, Jr. was arrested and charged with 30 counts of hate crimes, along with a charge of first degree murder. His trial begins in late November. One year later, a new Unite the Right event is happening. When organizers couldn’t get a permit in Charlottesville for the event, they scheduled it for Washington D.C. Here everything we know so far about what’s happening, who’s speaking, and the times of the events.
Unite the Right Will Meet at Vienna Metro Station in Virginia at 2 p.m. Eastern
To begin, Unite the Right participants will meet at the Vienna Metro Station in Vienna, Virginia at 2 p.m. Eastern, according to their website. The site reads: “IMPORTANT: Do not go directly to Lafayette Park. We will be assembling at the Vienna Metro Station in Vienna, Virginia at 2pm.”
From there, they will travel to the Parade Entrance at the Foggy Bottom Station. They’ll be provided with police-protected transport to Lafayette Square, according to the website.
“From the Vienna Station we’ll be transporting people to the Foggy Bottom Station via buses and trains.”
The March Begins at 5 p.m. Eastern at Foggy Bottom Subway Station
The march begins at 5 p.m. Eastern, starting at Washington’s Foggy Bottom subway station. This is being called a “Parade march” according to their website. “Once you arrive at Foggy Bottom Station you will be in another police protected zone where we’ll await the next step of the demonstration.”
The site states: “At approximately 5pm we’ll begin a march along Pennsylvania Ave to Lafayette Square (in front of the White House) where the demonstration is scheduled to begin.”
The Rally Begins at 5:30 p.m. Eastern at Lafayette Square
They will march from the subway station to Lafayette Square, where the rally is scheduled to last from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern. The event will have a stage set up and speakers, but they may not need the full two hours, the website states.
After the event is over, buses and/or trains will take them back to Vienna Station.
The organizers want this to be a nonviolent event. The website states: ” Do not react with anger to anyone. There will certainly be provocateurs trying to get a reaction out of you by trying to stick cameras in peoples’ faces, yelling, etc. … Law enforcement has assured me that agitators will be kept apart at a safe distance. If this is not the case alert a team member IMMEDIATELY so that the situation can be rectified before it becomes a larger issue… ALWAYS Be aware of your surroundings. Do not talk to the media. Do not engage in any fighting. ALWAYS be a good representative for our cause”
Speakers for the Event
Unfortunately, we don’t have a confirmed list of speakers for the Unite the Right 2018 event at this time. However, Jason Kessler’s permit did list some potential speakers. Speakers listed on the permit include Kessler, Simon Roche, Kevin Cormier, Avi Horton, Corey Mahler, Tom Kawcyznki, and Patrick Little. Not all the names on this list, however, are confirmed. It is possible that some of them were just listed to get the permit and may no longer be actually speaking. We will update this post as we have more details.
Counterprotests Will Also Take Place at Lafayette Square
Counterprotests are also scheduled for Lafayette Square around 4 p.m. Eastern. But many of the protesters have said that they plan to stay while the Unite the Right event is happening. You can read about the counter protests’ schedule in Heavy’s story here.
