Unite the Right rally
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Demonstrators and counter-demonstrators at Emancipation Park in Charlottesville on August 12, 2017.
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| Date | August 11–12, 2017 |
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| Location | Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S. |
| Theme | Protest the removal of Confederate monuments and memorials from public spaces |
| Organized by | Jason Kessler |
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| Arrest(s) | 5 |
The Unite the Right rally (also known as the Charlottesville rally) was a protest conducted in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States from August 11–12, 2017, to oppose the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee in Emancipation Park, which itself was renamed from Lee Park two months earlier. Protesters included white supremacists, white nationalists, neo-Confederates, neo-Nazis, and militias, some of whom carried semi-automatic rifles, swastikas, Confederate battle flags, anti-Semitic banners, or "Trump/Pence" signs. The rally occurred amidst the backdrop of several controversial Confederate monuments being removed throughout the country in response to the Charleston church shooting in 2015.
The event turned violent after protesters clashed with counter protesters, leaving 14 injured. On the morning of August 12, Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency stating that public safety could not be safeguarded without additional powers. Within an hour, the Virginia State Police declared the assembly to be unlawful.
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