Statement on Events in Charlottesville

The AAUP issued a statement after rallies by neo-Nazis and other white supremacists in Charlot­tesville resulted in violent clashes with counterprotesters and the death of an activist. The statement condemned the racism, anti- Semitism, and hatred expressed by the protest’s organizers and many of its participants. It also noted with concern President Trump’s equivocal response to the incidents and belated denunciation of the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups, calling on him and his administration to bring violent protesters to justice and to denounce attempts to equate nonviolent protesters—such as those affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement—with violent hate groups.

The statement expresses sup­port for equitable and welcoming learning environments that enable peaceful debate and disagreement and commits the AAUP to working with members, chapters, and state conferences to resist hate and fight for a just society.