Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Monday 15 May 2017

Torch-wielding group protests

Confederate statue removal

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) The protesters on Saturday newspaper reported.
— A group that included a evening called on officials Among those at the protest
well-known white nation- to halt the removal of a were Richard Spencer, a
alist carried torches and Gen. Robert E. Lee statue while nationalist who pop-
chanted “you will not re- in Charlottesville and were ularized the phrase “alt-
place us” at a weekend swiftly condemned by the right” and is a leading fig-
protest in Virginia over city’s mayor, who said the ure in a fringe movement
plans to remove a monu- event appeared to hear- that has been described as
ment of a Confederate ken “back to the days of a mix of racism, white na-
general. the KKK,” the Daily Progress tionalism and populism.
In this Saturday, May 13, 2017, photo, with a Gen. Robert E. Lee
statue in the background, people gather at Lee Park in Charlot-
tesville, Va., to protest the plans to remove the monument.
Associated Press
“We will not be replaced publican Party, said in a
from this park,” Spencer statement that the “intoler-
told the crowd at a differ- ance and hatred” that the
ent rally held hours earlier in protesters are seeking to
Charlottesville on Saturday. promote is “utterly disgust-
“We will not be replaced ing and disturbing beyond
from this world. Whites words,” The Daily Progress
have a future. We have a reported.
future of power, of beauty, The debate over Confed-
of expression,” he said. erate symbols has swept
Spencer, an outspoken through cities across the
supporter of President South since the 2015 mas-
Donald Trump, hosted a sacre of nine black parish-
postelection conference ioners at a South Carolina
in the nation’s capital last church. The gunman was a
November that ended self-avowed white suprem-
with audience members acist.
mimicking Nazi salutes af- In Virginia, Republican Co-
ter Spencer shouted, “Hail rey Stewart’s vocal support
Trump, hail our people, hail for the Lee statue also has
victory!” Spencer also has pushed the issue into the
advocated for an “eth- state’s high-profile race for
no-state” that would be governor.
a “safe space” for white Stewart has pledged that
people no Confederate monu-
Charlottesville Mayor Mike ments would be removed if
Signer said in a statement he is elected.
that Saturday’s protest was In New Orleans, workers on
either “profoundly igno- Thursday removed a statue
rant” or meant to instill fear of Confederate President
in minorities “in a way that Jefferson Davis, the second
hearkens back to the days of four monuments to Con-
of the KKK.” federate era figures the
“I want everyone to know city has voted to remove.
this: We reject this intimida- Late last month, the city re-
tion,” Signer said in a state- moved a 35-foot tall gran-
ment. “We are a welcom- ite obelisk tribute to whites
ing city, but such intoler- who battled a biracial Re-
ance is not welcome here.” construction government
Erich Reimer, chairman installed in New Orleans af-
of the Charlottesville Re- ter the Civil War.q