In a backdrop of white supremacists distancing themselves from Jason Kessler's efforts to organize a Unite the Right II rally, Kessler, withdraws demand for new rally permit in Charlottesville. https://t.co/B9CRkT1KEw
— Joanna Mendelson (@jo_mendelson) July 24, 2018
… On Tuesday, Kessler shocked even his own lawyers by withdrawing his request that a federal judge order the city to grant him a permit for a “Unite the Right 2” rally for the weekend of Aug. 11.
But after the hearing, one of his attorneys, James Kolenich, told reporters that Kessler could still show up at Market Street Park, formerly known as Lee Park and then Emancipation Park, next month with a group of 24 people or fewer, without needing any permit. He and others maintain that they are protesting the city’s effort to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.
Kessler, who lives in Charlottesville and graduated from the University of Virginia, quickly vanished after the hearing and was unavailable for an interview request.
His court appearance Tuesday was part of his ongoing lawsuit against the city, alleging that its denial of his permit violated his First Amendment rights. Kolenich told the news media that the lawsuit remains active because Kessler wants to prove the city acted illegally so that he can obtain the permit for a “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville for August 2019…
Kessler, who recently claimed online that he supports “white rights” and does not hate other races or ethnic groups, applied in November for a city permit to hold what he described as a “two-day festival” with an expected crowd of 400. His permit said the event wanted to call attention to “government civil rights abuse” and “memorialize the sacrifices made by political dissidents” during last year’s rally.
The next month, city manager Maurice Jones denied Kessler’s application, asserting that the demonstration would “present a danger to public safety” and would probably cost too much money for the city to protect and keep peaceful…
“The City’s concerns about the trustworthiness of the Plaintiff himself are substantial,” its lawyers wrote. “[T]he City has collected a great deal of evidence . . . that the Plaintiff will state peaceful intentions in public while in private encouraging and enticing attendees to engage in violence.”…
Kessler claims he’s still pushing for a permit to rally in DC, but it’s an open question as to whether he and his cosplay buddies want to be standing between the Antifa activists and the serious white-nationalist ‘Sons of Odin’ types…
How much do you suck as a human when *white supremacists* are distancing themselves from you? https://t.co/TS0Ida1fl4
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) July 24, 2018
Here I will start https://t.co/FeN4HJ0nuA
— Oh No Not That (@kyyle23) July 24, 2018