Richmond – Virginia House Democratic Leader Eileen Filler-Corn and Caucus Chair Charniele Herring released the following statement on the two-year anniversary of the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville that killed Heather Heyer and injured many more.
“Two years ago, white nationalists descended upon Charlottesville and brought terror and hateful ideology to our Commonwealth. Many brave Virginians stood up to this disgusting rally rooted in racism – they stood up for diversity, for tolerance, for inclusivity. Heather Heyer lost her life standing up to white supremacy, and many more lives have been forever altered through physical and mental trauma. Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Bates and Lt. H. Jay Cullen also died responding to the rally, and we honor their bravery and their memories.
“White nationalist terrorism is on the rise, and the rally in Charlottesville last year was a glaring example. Yet so many of our Virginia communities experience the effects of this racism, anti-Semitism, and domestic terror in their daily lives. As a Commonwealth, we have to examine how we can protect our communities from white nationalist terror, including through hate crime and gun safety legislation. Virginia history is complicated and often dark and painful, but white supremacy has no place in our Commonwealth’s future.”