Jason Kessler, who spearheaded the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., last August, has gotten initial approval to hold a similar event in the nation’s capital this August.
The National Park Service approved Kessler’s request but has yet to issue a permit for him to hold a protest on Aug. 11 and Aug. 12 at Lafayette Park, close to the White House, according to the Washington Post
“This year we have a new purpose,” he said. “And that’s to talk about the civil rights abuse that happened in Charlottesville, Virginia, last year.”
In the permit application, Kessler claimed he anticipates approximately 400 people will participate in the “white civil rights” rally.
Kessler’s “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville caused white supremacists to clash with counterprotesters. Those who organized the rally claimed they were protesting the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.
The rally resulted in the death of counterprotester Heather Heyer, who died after a self-identified neo-Nazi drove a vehicle into a crowd.
President Trump faced backlash for his initial comments after the incident when he said “both sides” shared blame for the violence.
