Jason Kessler, organizer of white supremacist rally, gets chased out of his own press conference.

Organizer of White Supremacist Rally Gets Chased Out of His Own Press Conference

Organizer of White Supremacist Rally Gets Chased Out of His Own Press Conference

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Aug. 13 2017 6:23 PM

Organizer of White Supremacist Rally Gets Chased Out of His Own Press Conference

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Counter protesters confront Jason Kessler, an organizer of "'Unite the Right" rally, after Kessler tried to speak outside the Charlottesville City Hall on August 13, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia.

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The blogger who organized the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville that turned deadly on Saturday tried to hold a news conference on Sunday afternoon but was booed by several hundred people who then chased him away. Jason Kessler came out to speak Sunday afternoon outside Charlottesville City Hall but as soon as he opened his mouth, the gathered crowd chanted “shame” over and over again so it was almost impossible to make out what he had to say. And it’s just as well too because Kessler didn’t seem at all interested in putting up appereances to make it seem as though he was interested in calming the waters.

“Today, I just want to come before you and I want to tell you the story of what really happened before this narrative is allowed to continue spinning out of control,” Kessler said, as he raised his voice to try to speak over the protesters. “The hate that you hear around you—that is the anti-white hate that fueled what happened yesterday.” Kessler then continued his vile statement by blaming local law enforcement. “What happened yesterday was the result of the Charlottesville police officers refusing to do their job,” Kessler said. “They stood down and did not follow through with the agreed-upon security arrangements.”

Kessler went on to talk about the planned rally for a bit and gave a perfunctory criticism of violent actions when a pair of protesters approached the podium and got in Kessler’s face: “Indict for murder, now!” one yelled. “He invited these people. Indict for murder, now!” Another voice in the crowd can clearly be heard in the recording yelling “Nazi scum!” A man proceeded to push Kessler while a woman tackled him. He asked for assistance from state troopers, who escorted him out of the area. “I tried my best but once again violence rules over speech and ideas in #Charlottesville,” Kessler wrote on Twitter. “The first amendment is finished it seems.”

A 47-year-old local man was charged with misdemeanor assault and battery after a trooper saw him spit on Kessler.

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Protesters shout insults and make noise in an attempt to drown out a news conference held by alt-right blogger Jason Kessler August 13, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia.

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Daniel Politi has been contributing to Slate since 2004 and wrote the Today’s Papers column from 2006 to 2009. Follow him on Twitter.