NEW YORK – Virginia governor, Terry McAuliffe declares a state of emergency for the city of Charlottesville, Virginia, following skirmishes and a car attack on a crowd after a white nationalist rally.
Police arrested James Alex Fields Jr., 20, of Maumee, Ohio, who allegedly rammed his car into the crowd, killing on 34-year-old woman and injuring at least 19 people.
US Muslim activists flooded social media with reactions to the rally and subsequent scuffles and the deadly attack.
Historical Racism.
Many Muslims expressed how the initial rally demonstrates a continual struggle against racism in the country.
The new racism is the old racism. #charlottesville pic.twitter.com/PLSCMYSCg0
— Khaled Beydoun (@KhaledBeydoun) August 12, 2017
The large white supremacists rally last night in VA isn’t Trump’s America. It’s America. These folks have always been here.
— Dawud Walid (@DawudWalid) August 12, 2017
Our kids were taught about the KKK in history, now they are witnessing them in the present. This time without the hoods. #Charlottesville
— Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) August 12, 2017
In 1927, Donald Trump’s father was arrested after a Klan riot in Queens https://t.co/EmFTX21rsG
— Margari Aziza (@Margari_Aziza) August 12, 2017
Government Bias
The biased treatment of white supremacists by law enforcement was also addressed. Many felt that compared to the paramilitary presence at black-led protests for racial justice, police responded to the violence generated at the white nationalist march and rally less aggressively.
There was also criticism that there are little to no calls to punish those involved in the violence as well as the initial silence of President Trump and his subsequent measured response.
I went to #Baltimore during the protests,& they had military tanks ALL OVER the city like this for unarmed Blk kids. Not in #Charlotesville pic.twitter.com/rE5r9oosOc
— Tariq Nasheed (@tariqnasheed) August 12, 2017
These politicians are saying they want the white supremacists in #Charlottesville to “get out”, but they aren’t mentioning PUNISHING them
— Tariq Nasheed (@tariqnasheed) August 12, 2017
Black people get called violent for being loud & blocking traffic but there are somehow 2 sides when white terrorists murder people.
— Black Aziz Ansari ? (@Freeyourmindkid) August 12, 2017
In truth, we’re not surprised that law enforcement is eerily silent, these Nazi-White Supremacist have family in uniform.#Charlottesville
— Hanif J. Williams (@HanifJWilliams) August 12, 2017
This is DISGUSTING. And the President is silent about this hate. https://t.co/uYsH19A8Js
— Kameelah M. Rashad (@KameelahRashad) August 12, 2017
The Feckless Commander in Chief is too chicken shit to call it what it is. No surprise. His silence is an endorsement. #COWARDINCHIEF
— Sahar Abdulaziz (@Sahar_Author) August 13, 2017
Thank you for condemning everything your presidency stands for! Now say it with me, “Love trumps hate, love trumps hate, love trumps hate..” https://t.co/jrM7QdzpNI
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) August 12, 2017
Whats sad is you won’t name and condemn WHO killed her, because it was your voter base https://t.co/zqeGw6yftQ
— Tariq Nasheed (@tariqnasheed) August 12, 2017
Avoiding the “T” Word
As news spread about the car attack, Muslims highlighted the purposeful avoidance to label it an act of terrorism by in the media to maintain stereotypes that exclusively associate the word to Muslims.
Cars don’t hit people, the humans driving the car do! This was an act of terrorism, these radicals believe in a violent ideology of hate. https://t.co/X2sbz8FHzs
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) August 12, 2017
The same people keen and quick to call all Muslims terrorists are reluctant to call Nazis, with raised arms and torches, White Supremacists?
— Khaled Beydoun (@KhaledBeydoun) August 13, 2017
White supremacist terrorist. ???? https://t.co/oNxFEkNgWV
— Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) August 13, 2017
Terrorism is to intimidate, harm or killbased upon ideology or to achieve an ideological goal. He’s a white terrorist. https://t.co/kv3iTyeFFi
— Dawud Walid (@DawudWalid) August 13, 2017
Asked to condemn white supremacy terror—45 refused & walked away.
Imagine if a Muslim refused to condemn Daesh??? https://t.co/hS50rQLsId
— Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@MuslimIQ) August 13, 2017
#Charlottesville
This is white supremacist terrorism. Prayers for the courageous victims. pic.twitter.com/7HyD11aE8B— Hadi Qazwini (@HadiQazwini) August 12, 2017
As the country contends with the rising tide of hatred and violence, US Muslims work to prevent the romanticizing of violence and support each other when facing hate.