Charlottesville, Virginia native Dave Matthews has joined the growing list of celebrities sickened by the drama at a white supremacy rally in the city on Saturday (12Aug17).
Unite the Right activists were protesting the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue when a 20-year-old drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing one person and injuring dozens more.
In total, three people lost their lives in the violence over the weekend.
The Dave Matthews Band leader, who was born and bred in Charlottesville, has issued a statement on the band’s website, revealing he’s “disgusted” by what went down.
“We are all disgusted by the acts of racist, hate-filled terrorism in our hometown this weekend,” he wrote. “Like so many our hearts are broken. Our thoughts go out to the families and victims of these unbelievable acts. This is not the Charlottesville we know and love. This town has grown from its sometimes great but often difficult history and is marching toward an inclusive future.”
He added: “This murderous act and those who incited it are not what we aspire to be. We will work tirelessly, hand-in-hand with our community to help one another so we can all heal from this sickening display of horror. Hate speech disguised as free speech is cowardly and shameful. Such speech gives permission to the murderous crimes we witnessed today.
“There is nothing pure, acceptable, or philosophical about Nazism, or racism masked as heritage.”
Lorde, Lady Gaga and John Legend have also spoken out against Saturday’s white nationalist rally.
Lorde tweets, “I just want to say I’m so, so sorry. All white people are responsible for this system’s thrive and fall. We have to do better. I’m sorry. Being a privileged white non-US citizen, I feel like tweeting to reinforce how horrific POC (people of colour) treatment here is unnecessary & inappropriate.”
And Lady Gaga and Legend condemned U.S. leader Donald Trump for failing to condemn hate groups following the Charlottesville horror.
“I pray a true leader will rise to expel hatred from America,” Gaga tweets. “This is not US! This is Anti-American. I know we are not created to hate each other, but to help & love.”
Legend added: “We have Nazi sympathizers and white nationalists in the White House. Condemn them too. They should not be receiving taxpayer money.”
Other celebrities, such as Hayley Williams, Seth Rogen, Mark Ronson, Questlove, Estelle, and Ava DuVernay have also taken to the micro-blogging site to slam the racist protest and Trump’s delayed response to the horror.
The driver of the car, James Alex Fields Jr., has been charged with second-degree murder and other counts.
