Virginia on par with nationwide average of hate crimes, Southern Poverty Law Center expert says
Law enforcement continues to investigate whether the Texas gunman who killed eight people in Dallas over the weekend is tied to white supremacy. Experts said white supremacy groups are all over, including in the Commonwealth.
SPLC: At least 160 Confederate symbols taken down in 2020
FILE - In this July 7, 2020, file photo, crews attach straps to the statue Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va. At least 160 Confederate symbols were taken down or moved from public spaces in 2020. AdโThese racist symbols only serve to uphold revisionist history and the belief that white supremacy remains morally acceptable,โ SPLC chief of staff Lecia Brooks said in a statement. In December, a state commission recommended replacing Leeโs statue with a statue of Johns. He served as president of the Confederate States of America after becoming a U.S. senator, not before becoming a U.S. senator.
Hate groups migrate online, making tracking more difficult
In its annual report, released Monday, the Southern Poverty Law Center said it identified 838 active hate groups operating across the U.S. in 2020. AdThe Montgomery, Alabama-based law center said many hate groups have moved to social media platforms and use of encrypted apps, while others have been banned altogether from mainstream social media networks. White nationalist organizations, a subset of the hate groups listed in the report, declined last year from 155 to 128. The number of anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim and anti-LGBTQ hate groups remained largely stable, while their in-person organizing was hampered by the coronavirus pandemic. People who support or express hatred and bigotry are not always card-carrying members of far-right groups.
Virginia has removed 40 Confederate symbols since George Floydโs death
Across the nation, there are now fewer symbols of the Confederacy as 102 of them have been removed since the death of George Floyd in May. Virginia has removed the most Confederate symbols of any state with 40, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. The SPLC said that June and July each saw 38 symbols removed, with 13 in August, 12 in September and one this month. The organization said it track symbols that celebrate the Confederacy on public land, meaning symbols in graveyards, battlefields, on private property, or those erected in the spirit of reconciliation are not included in its count. Below is a list of the 102 symbols that have been removed:
Civil rights group pushes back at GOP condemnation
The resolution claimed that it puts conservative groups or voices at risk of attack.The SPLC, which conducts investigations and engages in civil rights litigation, said in a statement Monday that the resolution gave comfort to hate groups and accused the RNC of being selective in its condemnation. community with dehumanizing rhetoric.The resolution was the latest clash between the SPLC and conservative groups over the Alabama-based organizations Hatewatch list, which tracks radical and extremist groups. The civil rights group, championed by many on the left, has denied that assertion, saying that groups with beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics make their list. The RNC resolution cited the presence of the anti-abortion Family Research Council (FRC) on the list, accusing the SPLC of leading to a 2012 shooting at the FRC. The RNC also approved resolutions defending the federal celebration of the Christopher Columbus holiday; condemning cancel culture and reaffirming its support for President Donald Trump.
A look at expected participants in Virginia gun rally
Ralph Northam declared a temporary state of emergency days ahead of Mondayโs rally, banning all guns and other weapons from Capitol Square. A look at some of the groups that are participating:Virginia Citizens Defense LeagueThe Virginia Citizens Defense League, an influential grassroots gun-rights organization with a long record in the state, has been the leading force behind Monday's rally. Gun Owners of AmericaThe influential pro-gun group Gun Owners of America describes itself as the only โno-compromise" gun lobby in Washington and enjoys a loyal following. On its website, the group has urged its members to attend Monday's rally. NRAThe National Rifle Association, the country's best known gun-rights organization, has distanced itself from Monday's rally and instead held a lobby day last week.
White supremacist group filmed in front of the Emmett Till sign
- A white supremacist group filmed a video in front of the Emmett Till Memorial in Sumner, Mississippi, over the weekend, officials say. "We are all here are the Emmett Till monument that represents the civil rights movement for blacks," a man is heard saying. The memorial sign marks the spot where 14-year-old Emmett Till's body was pulled from the Tallahatchie River in 1955. The sign has been vandalized in the pastThe Emmett Till Memorial was recently rededicated and made bulletproof after multiple acts of vandalism -- including getting riddled with 20 bullet holes. The photo prompted their fraternity, Kappa Alpha, to suspend them and the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division to launch an investigation.
Controversial right-wing group will not host event at Mar-a-Lago
(CNN) - The Trump Organization on Sunday said it would not host an event put on by a controversial right-wing group that has advertised its annual gala would take place next month at Mar-a-Lago. "This event will absolutely not be taking place at Mar-a-Lago," a spokesperson for the Trump Organization told CNN Sunday. The Trump Organization did not respond to follow up questions about the circumstances surrounding the event. Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American Islamic Relations, told CNN Sunday that the Trump Organization's statement that Mar-a-Lago would not host the event was "welcome" news. While sharia law doesn't exist the United States, that hasn't stopped it from becoming a political issue.
Arizona group agrees to stop harassing churches helping immigrants
Getty ImagesPHOENIX - A group of activists has agreed to back down from its campaign of harassment against pastors and churches helping immigrants and asylum-seekers in Arizona. The AZ Patriots organization and four of its leaders have agreed to not to trespass on church properties in the Phoenix area, according to court documents. Several anti-immigration groups in Arizona have taken videos and posted them on Facebook encouraging people to contact pastors and churches helping asylum seekers. Face-to-face confrontations have also occurred between sometimes virulent anti-immigration groups and church leaders trying to help those seeking asylum. Antone said she no longer protests outside churches but supports the rights of others to do so.