Neo-Nazis who attended deadly 2017 'Unite the Right' rally in Charlottesville wore black to cover-up bloodstains, trial hears
New text messages shown at trial revealed that the neo-Nazis who attended the deadly 2017 'Unite the Right' rally in Charlottesville wore black in order to coverup bloodstains.
Text messages between organizers of 2017's Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville were revealed in court this week during the federal civil trial that will determine whether those who orchestrated the deadly event conspired to engage in racially motivated violence, the Washington Post reported.
Ten people who say they were physically harmed and went through emotional distress during the weekend rally brought the suit, backed by Integrity First for America, a civil rights nonprofit organization, against multiple white supremacist organizations and 14 people who are alleged to have orchestrated the violent demonstration that led to one death and multiple injuries.
Matthew Heimbach's text show him deciding on a dress code for the event, with organizers landing on an all black uniform in order to hide blood, attorneys said
Leaders of white supremacist groups are accused of orchestrating the deadly event and conspiring to engage in racially motivated violence
Defendants claim that their speech was constitutionally protected and that the violence that occurred was not carefully coordinated but instead brought on by police inaction and counter protesters, the Post reported.
The first of two dozen defendants was Matthew Heimbach, leader of the white nationalist group Traditionalist Worker Party, who pleaded guilty in 2017 to disorderly conduct for assaulting a protester at a 2016 campaign event for then-President Donald Trump.
Heimbach's communications, including photos, videos and texts leaked from the messaging app Discord, were presented in court on Tuesday and Wednesday as he was questioned about his organization efforts and outreach to make the 2017 event come together.
Presented as evidence were texts Heimbach sent to Jason Kessler, the lead organizer of the Unite the Right rally, trying to decide on a dress code for the event.
Heimbach initially suggested 'Khakis and a polo,' but organizers ultimately landed on an all black uniform in order to hide blood, attorneys said.
The violent Unite the Right rally in 2017 led to one death and multiple injuries
Heimbach was among hundreds of white nationalists - including neo-Nazis, skinheads and Ku Klux Klan members - who descended on Charlottesville in 2017
Messages dating back to May 22 of that year show the concerted effort to bring about the weekend rally.
'I wanted to invite you and pick your brain about how to conceive this thing,' Kessler texted Heimbach.
From there, texts show how Heimbach assembled leaders of various hate groups to make the event happen.
'We've got 90% of all the real orgs in America together,' Heimbach said in a June 5, 2017 message to Dillon Hopper, the commander of hate group Vanguard America, 'With the leadership being you, me, Jeff and Dr. Hill,' Heimbach added, referring to Jeff Schoep, the former leader of the National Socialist Movement and Michael Hill, a neo-Confederate leader of the League of the South, the Post reported.
'Now all we need is Spencer and Damigo,' Hopper replied, referring to Neo-Nazi Richard Spencer and Nathan Damigo, leader of neo-Nazi group Identity Evropa.
'Well this is where charlottesivlle [sic] comes in,' Heimbach wrote. 'We're all doing it together.'
Prior to the rally Kessler also asked Heimbach to reach out to two violent skinhead groups, the Hammerskins and Blood & Honour social club, groups who Heimbach said in court were known to be 'rough around the edges.'
He also told the court he reached out to 'comrades in Greece' in order to get someone from the violent neo-Nazi group Golden Dawn to attend, but according to Heimbach the notoriously violent groups were asked to attend the rally in order to intimidate counter protestors, 'so there would be a deterrent effect.'
Heimbach pictured at the Charlottesville rally in 2017. He is being accused of orchestrating the violent event
During cross examination Heimbach tried to distance himself from his former comrades and pushed back against evidence linking him to Nazis.
When presented with a picture he posted to Discord in 2017 of him performing the Nazi salute, his attorney Joshua Smith objected, and said 'It's actually referred to as a Roman Salute.'
But Heimbach had a well documented history of admiring and defending Nazis, including viewing it as a 'slur' when people mention the U.S. fought Nazis in World War II, saying that when his newborn son first opened his eyes he thought of Adolf Hitler and requesting his his followers salute him saying 'Heil Heimbach,' the Post reported.
In 2018, Heimbach was charged with domestic battery after he got into an altercation with his wife and his alleged mistress' husband, who happens to be his wife's stepfather.
Heimbach was arrested and charged with domestic battery.
Heimbach was among hundreds of white nationalists - including neo-Nazis, skinheads and Ku Klux Klan members - who descended on Charlottesville in part to protest the city's decision decided to remove a monument to Confederate Gen Robert E Lee from a park.
Violent fighting broke out between attendees and counterprotesters. Authorities eventually forced the crowd to disperse, but a car later barreled into a crowd of peaceful counterprotesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injuring dozens more. A state police helicopter later crashed, killing two troopers.
After James Alex Fields Jr. was sentenced in 2019 to life plus 419 years for killing Heyer and injuring dozens during the rally, prosecutors say Heimbach wrote him a friendly letter.
The letter to Fields Jr., presented in court, said that although they never met they are 'comrades' and that Heimbach knew he was 'a good man,'
'You my friend,' Heimbach wrote, 'are a martyr for our folk.'
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