The Unite the Right rally was a far-right political event that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, on August 11 and 12, 2017. The event was organized by white supremacist and white nationalist groups, who sought to protest the planned removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee from a public park. The rally attracted various far-right groups, white nationalists, neo-[[Nazis]], and [[alt-right]] groups, as well as members of the [[Ku Klux Klan (KKK)]]. The event was marked by violence, hatred, and tragedy. Clashes erupted between the far-right protestors and counter-protestors, which included [[civil rights]] activists, members of the clergy, and anti-[fascist](https://doctorparadox.net/people-data/american-fascists-and-the-global-right/) groups. On August 12, a man with ties to white supremacist groups deliberately drove his car into a crowd of counter-protestors, killing a woman named Heather Heyer and injuring several others. Two police officers also died in a helicopter crash while monitoring the events. The Unite the Right rally drew widespread condemnation from both the public and political figures across the spectrum. However, then-President [[Donald Trump]]'s response to the event was heavily criticized for not explicitly denouncing [[white supremacy]] and for equating both sides of the conflict, saying there were "very fine people on both sides." The rally served as a flashpoint for discussions about race relations, white supremacy, and the presence of Confederate monuments in the United States. In the years following the event, numerous statues and symbols of [[Confederates]] have been removed or relocated across the country, and there has been an increased focus on addressing [systemic racism](https://doctorparadox.net/category/psychology/racism/) and promoting [[social justice]].