Violence in Charlottesville

[Xiahou]

The ACLU posted a response to Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe's claim that they were responsible for the violence. I largely agree with their response.

It is the responsibility of law enforcement to ensure safety of both protesters and counter-protesters. The policing on Saturday was not effective in preventing violence. I was there and brought concerns directly to the secretary of public safety and the head of the Virginia State Police about the way that the barricades in the park limiting access by the arriving demonstrators and the lack of any physical separation of the protesters and counter-protesters on the street were contributing to the potential of violence. They did not respond. In fact, law enforcement was standing passively by, seeming to be waiting for violence to take place, so that they would have grounds to declare an emergency, declare an ‘unlawful assembly’ and clear the area.

Other than the bad actors on both sides themselves, I think local and state government deserves a good bit of the blame.