RantCrush Top 5: May 15, 2017

On Saturday evening, a big group of protesters carrying torches and chanting racist slogans gathered by the statue of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, Virginia. The crowd claimed to be protecting their “white heritage” after the city council had announced it was going to remove the statue. White nationalist Richard Spencer took credit for organizing the protest and a second demonstration after dark. “I’m here to take part in this great celebration of our heritage and to say ‘no’ to the city of Charlottesville. You’re not going to tear down our statue and you’re not going to replace us,” he said.

Lee Park right now…. pic.twitter.com/WZ2x0JsueE

— Allison Wrabel (@craftypanda) May 14, 2017

Charlottesville’s mayor, Mike Signer, opposed the removal of the statue but criticized the rally. “This event involving torches at night in Lee Park was either profoundly ignorant or was designed to instill fear in our minority populations in a way that hearkens back to the days of the KKK,” he said.

The people who live here don’t want the confederate statues and the people who don’t live here do. Seems simple. #Charlottesville

— George Squares (@GeorgeSquares) May 14, 2017

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.