CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WINA) – As many people suspected, the city has moved August 12th’s Unite the Right rally from Emancipation Park to McIntire Park, citing safety concerns over the crowd size and information from law enforcement.
Just minutes after the city’s Monday afternoon news conference, organizer Jason Kessler took to Twitter where he posted an expletive-filled tirade in which he promised the event will go on at its original location.
“We are going to demonstrate in Lee park,” he said. “The world is going to see it; we are not going to back down!”
He went on to promise legal action.
Mayor Mike Signer, City Manager Maurice Jones and Police Chief Al Thomas briefly spoke but took no question. They did say that additional information would come soon.
Airbnb has started to deactivate the accounts of people they belief have booked area lodging to attend the event, according to a statement.
“In 2016 we established the Airbnb Community Commitment reflecting our belief that to make good on our mission of belonging, those who are members of the Airbnb community accept people regardless of their race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or age. We asked all members of the Airbnb to affirmatively sign on to this commitment. When through our background check processes or from input of our community we identify and determine that there are those who would be pursuing behavior on the platform that would be antithetical to the Airbnb Community Commitment, we seek to take appropriate action including, as in this case, removing them from the platform.”
UVA Medical Center is expected to release a statement on measures it will take to ensure the manpower needed should the event lead to the violence seen at similar rallies.
