UPDATED Aug. 13, 6:20 p.m. ET: TIKI Brand released a statement on the events in Charlottesville. You can read it below.
See original story from 08/12/17.
On Friday night, a large crowd of white nationalists wielding tiki torches marched on the University of Virginia’s campus in Charlottesville.
The gathering has sparked a series of unsettling events on Saturday. What was supposed to precede a “Unite the Right” rally at Emancipation Park turned into civil unrest between neo-Nazis, counter-protesters, and law enforcement. Officials called for a state of emergency amid violent protests on Saturday morning and earlier this afternoon.
After police attempted to disburse the white nationalists and counter protesters at Emancipation Park, several pedestrians were injured when a car plowed through them on the street. It’s been reported that one person died, and 19 were injured. The driver has been arrested.
As shocking and disturbing these matters were to many, people have gone online to voice their frustrations over a very important detail; that white nationalists used tiki torches for marching. It’s been a mixture of jokes and criticisms on how this country is being represented, but it’s a social discussion that needs to be addressed.
Michael Rapaport was one of the first celebrities to speak up:
And then a lot of people just shared their thoughts out loud - even if they were kind of funny.
Others wanted to take a guess on where they bought the goods.
But really, people just wanted to make some valid points.
In the end, it doesn’t matter if the white supremacists were carrying tiki torches (a Polynesian product I might add) or confederate flags, they were armed with a lot of hate that created more hate. Don’t let these extremists ruin tiki torches for you because fuck them.
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