Photo: GoFundMe
A GoFundMe campaign has been started to pay for the treatment of his horrifying injuries.
By Arianna Jeret — Written on Aug 14, 2017
In just one example of the brutally inhumane racist behavior displayed by the hoards of white nationalists attending the "Unite the Right" march in Charlottesville, VA on August 12, 2017, a young Black man by the name of Dre Harris "was hit with water bottles, maced with pepper spray... chased and [beaten] with metal poles... [and] knocked unconscious repeatedly."
Here is Harris's personal description of what happened:
"I arrived at Emancipation Park around 11 AM as a counter-protester to voice my opinion on racial tensions and to literally stand up for what I believe in. I was only there for a few minutes before I was hit with water bottles, maced with pepper spray, and had derogoratoy slurs hurled at me. Just forty-five minutes in to the rally our Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency to aid state response to violence. About fifteen minutes or so after that I was brutally attacked by white supremacists in the parking garage right beside the Charlottesville Police Station. I was chased and beat with metal poles. I was knocked unconscious repeatedly. Every time I went to stand up I was knocked back down..."
If it was not for my friends that I came with I would have been beaten to a pulp. No law enforcement stepped in to help me. Once I was dragged off to some near by steps I was taken to the designated area for injured protesters & counter-protesters. My injuries were too extensive to be treated at the scene so I was taken to the ER at Martha Jefferson Hospital. I was diagnsoed with a concussion, an ulnar fracture, and had to receive eight staples in my head. I also have a laceration across my right eyebrow, abrasions on my knees & elbows, and a chipped tooth.
I'm so blessed to be alive to tell my story and to show the world that racism is very much still alive."
Youth advocate, journalist and educator Chuck Modi posted a video of the attack on Twitter.
In an article written by Modi for the New York Daily News following the rally, he shared that "White nationalists, neo-Confederates, and alt-right activists could be heard chanting 'white lives matter' and 'you will not replace us.' A few chanted the phrase, 'blood and soil,' a well-known Nazi rallying cry."
The Charlottesville Police Department was apparently prepped for serious action as they took to the streets in full riot gear.
Given the amount of information law enforcement had prior to the day's events, is absolutely reprehensible that such violence was permitted to occur, including the tragic death of one woman, Heather Heyer, who was killed when a car was allegedly driven with malicious intent directly through a crowd of people.
Just days before on August 8, 2017, the reportedly soon-to-be-defunct alt-right magazine The Daily Stormer published an article titled "Charlottesville: Why You Must Attend and What to Bring and Not to Bring!" The author began with this deplorable rallying cry:
"Although the rally was initially planned in support of the Lee Monument, which the Jew Mayor and his Negroid Deputy have marked for destruction, it has become something much bigger than that. It is now an historic rally, which will serve as a rallying point and battle cry for the rising Alt-Right movement..."
"We are there for a very fundamental reason: We must secure the existence of our people and a future for White children!"
This was followed with instructions to bring pepper spray, flag poles and flags, shields and tiki torches.
This is in addition to reports that in May of 2017, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security:
"Warned that white supremacist groups had already carried out more attacks than any other domestic extremist group over the past 16 years and were likely to carry out more attacks over the next year, according to an intelligence bulletin obtained by Foreign Policy. Even as President Donald Trump continues to resist calling out white supremacists for violence, federal law enforcement has made clear that it sees these types of domestic extremists as a severe threat. The report, dated May 10, says the FBI and DHS believe that members of the white supremacist movement “likely will continue to pose a threat of lethal violence over the next year.”
This photo of one of the many men who beat Harris was shared on Twitter in the hopes of finding these animals and bringing them to justice.
Harris began a GoFundMe campaign to pay the medical bills required for his care.
"The funds will be used to pay for my medical bills. I appreciate the support from my friends, family, and the news platforms that have reached out to check on me. We will not let this fade & disappear. People are carrying real hate in their hearts for the Black Community and I refuse to just let it happen. God Bless & thank you all again!"
The polar opposite views expressed in the comments section on his page represent a sad summary of just how split the people of this country have become.
Quite frankly, the fact that our government will not cover the costs of caring for this young man and the approximately 33 additional people who were injured in this massive and devastating racist hate crime should be distressing to all of us.
We all need to stand up NOW and do better.
Senior Editor and happily-former divorce coach/mediator Arianna Jeret is a recognized expert on love, sex, and relationships (except when it comes to her own life, of course) who has been featured in Cosmopolitan, The Huffington Post, Yahoo Style, Fox News, Bustle, Parents and more. Join her Sundays at 10:15 PM EST for answers to ALL of your questions on Facebook Live on YourTango. Follow her on Twitter (@ariannajeret) and Instagram (@ariannajer).