Buried in Friday’s news tsunami was a devastating report on the violence at an August white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va.
According to the report compiled by a former U.S. attorney hired by the city to investigate the violence, police bear a significant amount of responsibility for the chaos that ensued on August 12.
The police chief flatly told his subordinates to let the white nationalists and left-wing counter-demonstrators fight it out in the streets. A female officer who was supposed to be patrolling the area where a white nationalist plowed into a crowd of demonstrators and left one woman dead abandoned her post shortly before the crash. Her reason for abandonment was fear for her safety.
Another finding showed that police pushed the white nationalists into the crowd of leftists as they attempted to leave the area of their scheduled demonstration following an order to disperse. This action led to even more violence on that fateful day. (RELATED: Report: Police Failure Led To Charlottesville Violence)
The report concluded with a damning indictment of the police’s failure to do their job and protect the rights of those gathered to demonstrate.
“The City was unable to protect the right of free expression and facilitate the permit holder’s offensive speech. This represents a failure of one of government’s core functions — the protection of fundamental rights. Law enforcement also failed to maintain order and protect citizens from harm, injury, and death,” the former U.S. attorney’s review concluded.
Shortly after the riot, it was clear to some observers, myself included, that police bore significant responsibility for the violence that took place that August day. However, the media still played cheerleader to Charlottesville mayor Mike Signer blaming the riot on President Trump and failed to ask him about his role in allowing the chaos to spiral out of control. (RELATED: Why Were The Police Held Back In Charlottesville?)
Both Signer and Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe were celebrated for their “powerful” responses to Charlottesville after it happened, even though both Democrats should have faced more scrutiny for how the police responded when it actually went down.
McAuliffe himself dubiously claimed at the time that the reason police didn’t do more is that they were outgunned by militia members at the rally, which wasn’t quite true. Oddly enough, in the absence of the police, the armed militia guys were the only ones trying to keep the peace between the leftists and white nationalists.
The preferred narrative was placing all of the blame on the alt-right for the violence, and all other groups were absolved of any responsibility. The only thing that stopped the white nationalists from slaughtering the whole town were the few brave souls who challenged them on the streets, so goes the narrative.
That’s why even prominent Republicans like Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain began championing the communist-loving, America-hating Antifa as upstanding patriots. (RELATED: Republicans Embrace Movement That Wants To Destroy Them)
However, the attorney’s report on Charlottesville also undermined that notion as well. Several police officers were frightened of confronting Antifa over intelligence that suggested the leftists were willing to use cement-filled cans and fentanyl against cops. (RELATED: Charlottesville Police Feared Antifa Would Attack Them With Cement, FENTANYL)
So much for peaceful counter-demonstrators who had no intention of violence.
Those fears were one of the reasons why police refused to calm down the crowds and break up fights.
Additionally, the new report concluded that the infamous garage fight that resulted in the severe beating of a black man by white nationalists was actually started by the left-wing demonstrators. (RELATED: ‘Counter-Protester’ Started Infamous Charlottesville Parking Garage Fight)
It appears that “both sides” — as Trump famously pointed out and was excoriated for — share the blame for the violence.
The new report is a valuable resource to find out the truth of Charlottesville and how a Virginia college town became a warzone. It is unfortunately not receiving the amount of attention it should from the establishment media, partially due to the insane amount of news right now.
If the City of Charlottesville had done a better job of preparation and allowed the police to do their jobs, Heather Heyer would likely be alive today and there would have been few injuries at the demonstration. Instead of the rally becoming one of many white nationalist rallies that fade into the obscurity of public memory, this event was seared into America’s conscience due to police failure.
Trump took much of the blame for the rally for his “bigoted” campaign platform and such, but little was placed on the Democratic politicians who were responsible for the actions of law enforcement.
With this new report, there is no reason why Mayor Signer shouldn’t be forced to answer for his city’s complicity in the riot.
Why didn’t police do all that was necessary to stop the bloodshed? Why were armed mobs allowed to fight it out? Why did a mayor who probably knew about all these things grandstand against Trump when he should have been owning up to his own mistakes?
Charlottesville will continue to be a sore subject for Americans for years to come. At least a clearer picture of that day’s events are coming to light and we can no longer pretend that those who allowed the chaos to occur were somehow heroes.
Calling Trump is a racist is easy. Ensuring a riot doesn’t occur in your town is hard, apparently.
Follow Scott on Twitter and buy his new book, “No Campus for White Men.”