Science Group Condemns Racist Violence in Virginia

WASHINGTON (August 13, 2017)—Over this weekend, white nationalist groups rallied in Charlottesville, Virginia, bringing a message of hate and fear and inciting deadly violence. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) strongly condemns this racist violence.  

Below is a statement by Ken Kimmell, president of UCS.

"The racist rallies and bloodshed in Charlottesville this weekend are an echo of the darkest moments in American history. Extremists took to the streets in support of a racist and authoritarian ideology. Now, we have a duty to speak out against that ideology and its consequences. The bigotry and violence that threatened Charlottesville is unacceptable.

The torches, the chants, the weapons and the violence on display by these white supremacists were meant to send a message. They say to black and Latino communities, to immigrants and to religious minorities: you are not safe here, you do not belong here. Our leaders, and all of civil society, need to be loud and clear as they reject that message. We must stand in solidarity with those targeted by the forces of bigotry that rose in Charlottesville. We need to be on the side of equity, inclusion and justice, not racism and terror.

We must work to build a nation where this hatred has no place. Like every institution, the scientific community has the responsibility to reject the legacy of racial oppression that still haunts us today, and get to work for justice. We at the Union of Concerned Scientists are immensely saddened and condemn in the strongest possible terms these deplorable, shameful, and racist events in Charlottesville, Virginia this weekend."