In advance of Saturday's "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, alt-right members, white nationalists, neo-Nazis, neo-Confederates, and other assorted extremists marched through the city's University of Virginia campus on Friday night bearing torches.
Charlottesville became a favorite protest site for racists in April, after the city voted to remove its statue of Robert E. Lee. There was an earlier "torch march" in the city back in May.
People at the march tonight have given accounts of brawls, use of pepper spray, and, most frighteningly, accusations that the police "stood aside" and let the right wingers attack counter-protesters. According to the Daily Progress, there were several injuries and at least one arrest.
The rallying cry of the march was "You will not replace us"—no extra credit if you guess who the "you" and the "us" are. There were also chants of "White lives matter."
The city's mayor condemned the torch march, calling it an "unsanctioned and despicable display of visual intimidation."
Saturday's rally is expected to have between 2,000 and 6,000 attendees.
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