Trial begins for man charged in 2017 Charlottesville torch rally at the University of Virginia

AP ^ | 06 04 2024 | DENISE LAVOIE

[yesthatjallen]

Seven years after a white nationalist rally erupted in violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, a trial began Tuesday for one of about a dozen people charged with using flaming torches to intimidate counterprotesters.

Prosecutors at the trial of Jacob Joseph Dix showed the jury graphic videos of 300 to 400 white nationalists marching through the campus of the University of Virginia, carrying torches, shouting Nazi slogans and surrounding a much smaller group of anti-racist counterprotesters, an event that ended in chaos and fighting between the two groups.

But Dix’s lawyer, Peter Frazier, told the jury nothing Dix did the night of Aug. 11, 2017, was criminal, and that the chants he joined in, including “You will not replace us!” were free speech protected by the First Amendment.

“He didn’t shake his torch or try to hit somebody with it,” Frazier said.

“He is not guilty of any crimes,” he said.

The case will provide the first test of a 2002 Virginia law that makes it a felony to burn something to intimidate and cause fear of injury or death. Lawmakers passed the law after the state Supreme Court ruled that a cross-burning statute used to prosecute Ku Klux Klan members was unconstitutional. (Retro-active legislation).

SNIP

[Chewbarkah]

Even if the video shows zero aggressive behavior during the march, and the audio says nothing worse than “you can’t replace us”, a C’ville jury will consist of aggrieved blacks and virtue-signalling leftist whites. Bragg/Merchan will be seen as role models.

I thought the torchlight rallies were idiotic and full of negative connotations at the time. Best defense now would be to prove Terry Macauliffe’s role in creating the whole mess.

[Fuzz]

Also, Jews will not replace us.

[SuperLuminal]

The Communist Purge Continues To Grow Exponentially & Nothing Is Being Done About It!

[Dogbert41]

https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-nationalists-torchlight-march-azov-party/28053936.html

Take what you will from what occurred and how they never stopped blaming Trump for it. The truth? FBI, CIA, State Department, DOJ, and Ukrainian assets were most likely setting up Trump and Republicans.