Virginia Governor, Terry McAuliffe, is providing taxpayer-funded state resources to an organization that vows to unseat President Donald Trump.

The “March to Confront White Supremacy” departed from Charlottesville’s Lee Park on Monday, with a reported 100 participants, which shortly dwindled to about 25. The group’s express purpose, as formerly stated on their (now attenuated) web site, is “removing” the President from office:

We demand that President Trump be removed from office for allying himself with this ideology of hate and we demand an agenda that repairs the damage it’s done to our country and its people.

A Daily Progress story magnified the charge, quoting the confronters as vowing relentless “civil disobedience”:

“We will hold our ground and launch wave after wave of civil disobedience demanding Trump be removed from office and that we begin to heal our nation’s wounds of white supremacy.”

Law enforcement sources say approximately twenty Virginia State Police officers were compelled to participate, on the Governor’s orders. The State Troopers were diverted from their primary duties and given less than 24 hours’ notice of this mandatory assignment.

The caravan has drawn significant public ire on its travels northward via Route 29, as participants have insisted on marching in the roadway instead of using sidewalks, road shoulders, and adjacent grass ways. Traffic has been unnecessarily and significantly impeded on several occasions.

An eyewitness reported anti-police sentiment being expressed by the marchers:

As I drove through the mob of 25, I heard the anti-police rants from these protesters. If any of them claim to be from the “faith community” I doubt any of them were Christians. I saw nothing but lawlessness, pride of ignorance, and a deep and abiding hatred for those poor souls forced by the governor to protect their wanton idiocy.

Estimated costs for the state “escort” service have not been released, but those familiar with police deployment logistics say the total could be several tens-of-thousands of dollars.

31 COMMENTS

  1. That effort and money would have been better spent helping Texas. There are also state workers involved, two, one driving dump truck and one driving a VDOT van/vehicle. There were less than 25 people walking. There were three state troopers directly in front of the walkers. There were at least two troopers at every cross over, between 33 and the Greene/Madison line. There were 5 troopers on motorcycles. Once they arrived in Madison, someone witnessed them all board a bus and head south. There was one lone girl standing on side of the road holding a sign, ALL LIVES MATTER, MARCH TO HOUSTON! Kudos to her. This is what I personally observed on Wednesday driving to Madison.

  2. When word that DEMOCRAT Gov. McAwful personally authorized so much taxpayer-funded police manpower for this ludicrous trek, then DEMOCRAT Northam’s bid for the governorship is toast. This on top of DEMOCRAT McAwful ordering the State Police to stand-down at the Aug. 12th Rally in C’ville so there’d be riots – prove the Democrats do not believe in rule of law.

    Democrats are the Party of antifa and sedition. Democrats are Soros-funded New World Order. Democrats are the Party of arrested development and childish P.R. stunts like this dilettante march.

    GOP Ed Gillespie just won the November election.

  3. Truth is not just knowing something to be fact—but—-in order to be TRULY USEFUL, truth must be employed by all of us to advance it to overcome the bull shit promulgated by the politicians who have been bought and paid for and who are cowards afraid to speak out and provide the leadership we need to restore and protect our nation — sadly, just look around to see who the Republican Party of Virginia has leading our conversation about truth, about doing the right thing for the right reasons —occasionally I see a Facebook statement from a delegate —never yet from a senator — a few comments from a congressman —and of course we do not have a US senator yet (Corey Stewart is coming on stronger and will win in November). The bottom line folks is that the Republican Party leaders in VA are by and large mute, gutless and hoping to not be quoted about anything which might cost them votes—despicable and useless in our fight against the left who are bleating and wailing like the stuck pigs they are—-it is long overdue to demand that all elected Republicans come out of hiding in their political closets and begin to behave like they stand for something more than their sorry positions of power—by speaking, yelling and shouting the truth—it is called being courageous and fearless in defense of all we hold dear!!! But alas, perhaps I am dreaming the imposible dream—to expect a politician to be courageous and fearless is probably just a foolish dream.

  4. While you’re requesting transparency in detailing State Police expenses for this march, please also publish State Police expenditures each time a president ventures into Virginia for a public appearance. Thank you.

  5. Virginia Governor, Terry McAuliffe, is providing taxpayer-funded state resources to an organization that vows to unseat President Donald Trump.

    The marchers’ verbal abuse of the police protecting them, if in fact they engaged in it, is juvenile and despicable. But American citizens have a Constitutional right to peacefully protest, and the civil disobedience they’re marching to engage in has also been an honorable American tradition, since at least the Civil Rights Movement. Just last month in Charlottesville, alt-right protestors murdered a woman with a car and mercilessly beat a young black man. On Facebook Thursday morning someone threatened these protestors with violence. They are American citizens. I invite Schilling Show fans to explain why they don’t need protection and shouldn’t be given it. Note: Two wrongs don’t make a right, so “They wouldn’t give us the same protection” is not an answer.

  6. Bullsh*t Ken, if Unite the Right had been allowed to peacefully protest along with the other “alt-right” rallies that were deliberated disrupted and obstructed, the young lady and two troopers would probably still be alive, especially the young lady. You will never admit that the obnoxious overbearing “alt-left” activist in Charlottesville are as despicable as the right wing thugs that showed on on August 12th hell bent on doing battle. When the left is ready to share their share of the blame for the hatred and anger that is bubbling over, we will be on the way to a solution. Until they do, you can ramble on about constitutional rights until hell freezes over, but nobody is buying it when it’s selectively used. Otherwise so many liberals would not be advocating civil disobedience when it’s justified. Only fools believe they have exclusive rights to what is justified and what isn’t. You should defend your ideology the same way I do. However 25 shrill activist causing such disruption and cost is high comedy IMO.

  7. Folks, I believe we should accommodate these brave souls and bestow a name on their noble march to Washington. THE 25 FOOL MARCH somehow sounds appropriate to me.

  8. The alt-Right didn’t come here to peaceably protest. They promised violence. The feds knew it and so did anyone else who’d read their websites and Facebook pages. It was in the news. So their violence wasn’t a one-time response to having their rally called off, and these marchers are in obvious need of protection. Instead of accusing the Left of only being principled when it’s convenient, demonstrate here that you’re principled yourself.

    Individuals are responsible for their own actions (a basic conservative tenet), and antifa, as deplorable as they are, do not share the blame for a murder a member of the alt-Right committed. Don’t forget also that Kessler and company failed to stick with their plans, and came to the park early, and from two directions instead of just one. If that hadn’t happened, the police might have given them the promised protection coming in, and the rally might have taken place.

    You should know from the way I’ve criticized SURJ that I have no tolerance for antifa. I should not have to spell out for you that I find their violence as abhorrent as the alt-Right’s. I wonder if I really do. You want me to be a progressive so you can dismiss my criticisms, but truth is truth no matter who speaks it.

    Read the recent Atlantic Monthly article, “How to Distinguish Between Antifa, White Supremacists, and Black Lives Matter.” You can find it online. The violence of both sides is equally evil, but while preaching hate and advocating for white supremacy is evil, opposing them is not. Antifa used an evil means for a good cause. Their opponents were evil in both means and ends. Still, the two sides deserve each other, and the rest of us deserve to be free of them.

    I’ve asked you several questions with direct bearing on the issues we’ve been discussing, and you’ve ducked every one. When you duck a question, you admit you have no answer.

  9. “I invite Schilling Show fans to explain why they don’t need protection and shouldn’t be given it.”
    Ken, I’ll give it a shot… How about basic common sense?
    Of course, they need protection for their march because RT 29 IS NOT DESIGNED FOR PEDESTRIANS!!!!! Why afford this group protection for their march? Why don’t they drive to DC or write their congressman like any other citizen. That way, they don’t need a police escort…duh.
    And why create a precedent that will allow for a group with a supposed noble cause to march on a public, high-speed roadway and frivolously spend tax dollars along the way.
    Please help me understand Ken since you seem hell-bent on supporting every stupid, leftist stunt that comes along. Why support this one?

  10. @ Not a Lib, you didn’t mention the amount of animosity created amongst commuters just trying to get thru their day. 35 effing people blocking one of the northbound lanes is about as arrogant and in your face as it can be. Pretty soon it will be one entitled group of individuals after another asking for the same accommodation afforded this raggedy team of “Dreamers” with nothing better to do in their lives. So Ken, how about a group of 50 or 100 folks footing it up 29 with Shotguns and AR15s strapped across their backs in support of their 2nd amendment rights? Anyone can justify anything provided they are focused and dedicated to their cause.

  11. That’s called only pretending to answer the question, Lib. Marching is a time-honored form of protest, which can be particularly effective because it generates publicity, putting pressure on public servants and attracting more supporters to the cause. But I don’t think you really needed me to tell you that. I think the Commonwealth can handle the costs of an occasional march. If they become common and cause a significant drain on the purse, laws can be enacted to deal with that. Also, when you accuse me of supporting “every stupid, leftist stunt that comes along,” you’re making stuff up. Just like your president.

    Al, this is a purple state. For every irritated commuter there is another one happy to have their boring commute interrupted by something cheering. I’ll answer your question, even though you can’t answer mine: gun fans have as much right to march as anyone else.

  12. Folks comment as if this occurred in a vacuum. McAuliffe is a Clinton acolyte, rife with skeletons in his closet and as corrupt as the day is long. Sadly, he is a vestige of the cronyism and corruption that are synonymous with HRC and WJC. Yes, for sure, if this were an NRA march or a–ugh!–white supremacist march, McAuliffe would not have lifted a finger. Charlottesville proved that.

    Now, it is quite comical that this march was clearly in response to the Cville debacle, that Kessler’s group was pressured at the last minute to move the venue because Lee Park was not safe or suitable for such a crowd (again, the ramp-up to August 12th was not occurring in the vacuum of just Cville; Richmond is right down the road, you know), but this group’s march up a major federal route towards a major metropolitan area was given the green light with any protection deemed necessary by–you guessed it–Terry McAuliffe.

    For all the posturing and sanctimony, please call a spade a spade. Libs are livid that HRC lost, that her opponent had the fortitude to call her what she was (he only missed the adjective “deplorable”), and that the sanctity of the White House seems to be assaulted daily by this “bully.” Nevermind the horrid trash that is HRC, the past and present actions of her husband (do you think he would have recused himself from counsel in all matters if she had been elected?) and the black eye the Clinton’s brought to the office.

    Remember this, good folks: It is a pretty safe bet that DJT will not be purloining $200k worth of White House china and artifacts when he leaves office.

    BTW, if you want to donate to help the victims of Harvey in Texas, just send your money to the Clinton Foundation. You can be sure a few pennies will get to the flood victims. Just ask Haiti.

  13. Ken, I answered your questions directly. You just don’t like the answer as I guess it doesn’t lead you into other points you would like to make? Do they need protection? Yes, they are marching on a high-speed roadway designed only for vehicular traffic. If they didn’t get protection, it would be highly likely that one or more would be killed because the speed limit is 60 in most areas and they are going about 3 MPH while walking. It’s a bad idea and hopefully legislation will be proposed. Of course, Governor veto would strike his pen to it anyways.
    Should they be given protection? No, it sets a bad precedent to protect pedestrians with taxpayer funds on a highly congested roadway that gets more congested the further north they travel. The state police are under-funded and overstaffed. Do you honestly believe their resources should be dedicated to publicity stunts such as this one? Should the very taxpayers that fund the protection be forced to wait additional time on their commutes for this?
    You’re correct about the publicity although I have heard very little about it after it began. A quick google search would indicate most of the publicity has been bad. I guess any publicity is good publicity, huh Ken?
    Common sense, Ken, common sense. Don’t walk in the road.
    And don’t support dumb publicity stunts or you might just be suffering through 4 more years with OUR president.

  14. Forbes, I’m no fan of Hillary, but if you only talk about the Clinton’s ethical lapses and never Trump’s, you don’t really care about ethics, you’re just a partisan. Politifact rates that accusation of the Clintons Mostly False. Accusations against them regarding Haiti are rated False and Mostl False. Now let’s think about Trump. Trump hasn’t taken anything from the White House – yet. He’s just gone bankrupt multiple times and stiffed a bunch of people who foolishly trusted him. What’s another name for a rich guy wheedling out of his debts. Oh yeah – stealing.

    August 12th proves nothing about McAuliffe, who had no control here on August 12 anyhow. The man isn’t on the city council, for one thing, and the safety concerns and logistics of the rally and the march hardly bear comparison. I’m sorry you find it funny that people are marching in outrage after a woman was murdered.

    Lib, my question to you as if the protesters deserved protection from the violence threatened against them. The American word for political publicity stunt is protest. Sometimes protests are a little inconvenient, like when mothers can’t take their kids to the park because it’s overrun by neo-Nazis. Are you opposed to Tea Party protests? I don’t “support” these marchers. I support their rights.

  15. Ken, sometimes in life, one has to admit when they are simply wrong. In this case, you are arguing for argument’s sake and you are wrong to support this march and the use of taxpayer funds to support and protect it. Because this group was threatened, they should have called off the march. Certainly, you realize it is not unusual for a protest group to lose their right to free speech if the manner in which they choose to exercise that right is dangerous to the safety of others. Pure politics by our sitting governor to support this idiocy. As I mentioned above, there are much better uses for our state understaffed, underfunded and overworked state police than to accompany this group up 29 to Washington DC on foot. Ridiculous. Learn to choose your battles Ken. This should not be one of them.

  16. Certainly, you realize it is not unusual for a protest group to lose their right to free speech if the manner in which they choose to exercise that right is dangerous to the safety of others.

    That’s true, and it would have been a good reason for canceling the August 12 rally altogether. But this group of marchers is a danger to no one.

    Learn to choose your battles

    Always good advice, but in this case you guys could stand to work on according your ideological opponents their rights, and in responding to all their arguments instead of picking and choosing only the ones you think you can rebut.

  17. No danger to anyone? Sheesh, they could sit and block 29 during rush hour and you would still defend these clowns. The right wingers had as much “right” to be in Charlottesville as the left wingers that were there to battle them. You would not have a leg to stand on if not for a crazy madman hell bent on taking out as many people as possible. What happens when you have anxious parents trying to get home to their children only to run into a massive traffic backup to accommodate 35 or 40 people blocking one lane of a busy highway? You have angry people that are prone to taking risks. You didn’t browse Facebook and see the angry comments there did you? You do your cause no good when you piss people off by inconveniencing them and blocking a public highway. Does this remind you of what happened on the 12th? Kessler blew his foot off. The only thing saving Bellamy, Signer, and crew from equal scorn was the loss of 3 lives. Leave it to an arrogant band of activist councilors to do everything they could to invite Neo Nazis and other extremists into town by allowing the loud mouthed left wingers in Charlottesville to bully and drown every dissenting voice that dared speak out against. My point is was made crystal clear by Bellamy when he stood up with a raised fist ala the Black Panthers of yesteryear. Keep supporting that clusterf**k of a council and see where it gets you. I will not spend another dime inside the city limits and believe me, I’m not the only only. Go ahead and label 50% or so of the surrounding community by labeling them as Nazis, white supremacist, or plain old racist and see where it takes you. Your elected officials handed the city to Bellamy, Turner, and their band of radical supporters. They can have it from my perspective.

  18. Al, you sure can work up a head of steam railing against far out things I haven’t said and don’t believe instead of what I have and do.

    The court said the protesters had a legal right to be in the park, danger or no danger. I haven’t heard about any massive traffic backups as a result of this march, but I’m sure the marchers have angered some drivers, not to mention you, and I agree they’re hurting their cause by doing so. Even aside from the traffic issue, I think marches do no good right now and are likely to be counterproductive. But again, I don’t support the marchers. I support their right to march.

  19. Ken, I DO find it funny you cite Politifact in defending the Clintons. That is indeed humorous. Journalists fact checking journalists financed by a nonprofit whose mission it is to train 21st Century journalists. Kind of like the fox guarding the hen-house, or kind of like the police investigating themselves.

    Thanks for the credible word of Politifact, Ken.

  20. Politifact rates 26% of her statements mostly false, false, or Pants on Fire. Another 23% it rates only half true. Enough said. Every time a conservative gets criticized it’s because the accuser is a hopelessly biased liberal. Uh huh.

  21. Well, Ken, Trump–I believe–used bankruptcy laws passed by the U.S. Congress to “wiggle out of his debts.” It perplexes me how this guy was skewered for 16 months prior to the November election…with no results. Then he is skewered again for tent months after November 2016…with no results. The best people can come up with is “he didn’t steal anything from the White House…yet.” Wow, what an indictment.

    Here is a wonderful and typical bit of anti-Trump prior to the hurricane: Someone actually said that it would be poetic justice and karma if Irma decimated his Mar-A-Lago property in Florida. Well, he was spared and, in the middle of all the Caribbean destruction, his St. Martin mansion was relatively unscathed whilst the rest of the island was destroyed. Is that “good” karma?

    As for Politifact, their 49% rating of Hillary as being suspect has no bearing on anything. I know their organization quite well, and their credibility is low.

    When a politician says some of the things they are wont to say (especially HRC in the last election), how does one come up with a metric called “half true”?
    Is the part where she says “My fellow Americans, I am here…” the true part and the rest is bull? Point being, you bow to those “fact checking” organizations like their the Swami himself; I don’t pay attention to them.

    Sadly, people in this country want to listen to people’s statement (John McCain as a veteran is great example) talk and look to other people to tell them if those folks are truthful. I’d rather look at the person’s actions (again, McCain’s sorry record on veterans’ legislation is the example).

    HRC and BS had horrid records as public servants. HRC was slimy from her days on the Rodino subcommittee. BS–well, he was just a failed relic from the ’60s who did little in life except suck on the public teat.

    Now, excuse me, I need to go find someone to buy me a house in Chappaqua.

  22. “It was legal” is a legal not an ethical defense. Lots of things are legal but manifestly wrong, including stiffing people when you don’t have to. Trump isn’t bankrupt now. A decent man, especially a decent billionaire, would go back and pay what he legally owed them, and more.

    I know their organization quite well, and their credibility is low.

    Well that settles that!!

    The best people can come up with is “he didn’t steal anything from the White House…yet.”

    The best? I was hardly trying. If that was the best, you’re really Forbes Kennedy. Everyone knows what a skunk this guy is. Some people just find it politically convenient to pretend otherwise, just like they find it convenient to ignore fact-checking agencies that clearly define “half true” as “partially accurate but leaves out important details or takes things out of context.” Is there some judgment involved in those ratings and are they sometimes influenced by ideology? Well are the fact-checkers human? But so are you, and you don’t even know who’s fact-checking what and how they vote. It’s safe to say, however, that anyone who judges McCain’s character on one issue rather than on the principled and courageous way he served has shown his own judgment to be useless.

  23. It’s safe to say, however, that anyone who judges McCain’s character on one issue rather than on the principled and courageous way he served has shown his own judgment to be useless

    Also sadly not worth continuing this conversation with.

  24. Ken, you are the typical “I am really a middle of the road guy” found on both sides of the aisle even tho your words tell a different story. C’mon, you make just enough admission of guilt to claim the bipartisan balanced opinionator. I don’t play those stupid games. Absolutely those marchers have the right to march, somewhere other than the right lane of a two lane northbound busy highway.
    They were obstructionist which was their intent aided and abetted by a kiss ass pathetic governor that sniffed Clinton and Obama butt all the way to a governorship of a once proud state. When 50% of the population would support some excuse to follow West Virginia and give NVA back to Maryland or DC, I think we have a problem. Personally, do something I never thought possible and divide it at the Blue Ridge Mountains. I would be much better off socially and economically in The Valley than I am stuck in Charlablemarle.

    PS – Thanks for that one Rob. It has become a favorite. ;)

  25. I hardly feel guilt about being a moderate. You only see what I write here, to conservatives like yourself. I have debated many a progressive in my day. The only true and lasting solution to the problem is for people to stop dehumanizing and demonizing each other. Maybe that “pathetic” etc. governor has real political convictions, and although you will probably never share them, maybe you could learn to respect them if you tried.

  26. I can only go by what I see here Ken. You have made some good points in other discussions. You obviously like to discuss social and political viewpoints. However when the words “white”, “black”, Asian, and Hispanic disappear from our dialogue, there will be no common ground. White Nationalists that claim that title are self identifying themselves are racists or bigots. Why not Nationalist? I extend that opinion to BLM and the good ole NAACP. “White” supremacist and “white” privilege are manufactured labels designed to be used as a political and social weapon. According to the fools chanting these slogans, everyone that is white other that recent immigrants is a white supremacist because our ancestors lived here during the ownership of slaves, abuse of Asian laborers, mistreatment of Native American Indians and a long list of other offenses that don’t live up to modern social views. Its self-righteousness taken to the point of lunacy. That is all my opinion of course. Should I speak this in public on the downtown mall I would be surrounded by radical leftists in a matter of minutes screaming “Nazi this” and “racist that”. That is if I were lucky and prepared to defend myself. If not, I’d probably get the crap beaten out of me.

  27. Darn it, I meant “until” the words. Have a good day Ken. You do present your points in a clear and non-aggressive manner. There is something to be said for that in these trying times.

  28. Al, thanks for the compliments. I’m not sure what you mean by the above. Surely you’re not saying that white nationalists aren’t bigots but are just nationalists and that’s OK. The “nationalists” that came here on August 12 would exclude African-Americans from this nation, or make them once again legally subservient. They aren’t just tough on immigration, they’re full-fledged bigots. Whatever you differ with BLM and the NAACP on, you can, I assume, at least recognize that they’re fighting evil, and remembering worse, and have a right to be angry about both. BLM’s rhetorical excesses and sloppy thinking don’t change that. Black men are still dying at the hands of the police when they shouldn’t. Even the reverse bigotry which some people fighting white racism have fallen into doesn’t change that. Are you sure you wouldn’t support BLM if you were black? Have you walked a mile in their shoes? As whites, we should be able to understand and empathize even when we don’t agree, and also put things in historical perspective. Yes you might get beaten up if you argued with antifa. But you wouldn’t get lynched.

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