Virginia

UVa Student Council says university should give $1 million to help Aug. 12 victims

Bryan McKenzie Dec 6, 2021

The University of Virginia’s Student Council is calling on the university to give $1 million to support victims of violence at the 2017 Unite the Right rally and to apologize for its lack of response during the rally’s torch-light march through Grounds.

The council approved a resolution at a Nov. 30 meeting, just a week after the Sines vs. Kessler lawsuit in which plaintiffs, who were victims of rally violence, sued the organizers for purposefully planning and putting on a violent demonstration.

“The [Student Council] calls on the UVa administration to acknowledge its complacency in the events by drafting a formal letter of apology to those impacted, with specific interest in those students, faculty, staff, and community members who were physically or emotionally harmed,” the resolution states.

“The [Student Council] calls on the University of Virginia to further support the plaintiffs of the civil trial and the survivors of the Aug. 11 and 12 white supremacist attacks by allocating aside $1 million dollars that would go to them directly,” the resolution states.

Council also called on itself to donate $700 to support the plaintiffs of the civil trial and other survivors of the rally and urged students to also support the plaintiffs and survivors through donations being collected by Congregate Charlottesville, a non-profit, religious-based organization working for social justice and helping those in need.

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This story has been edited to add information regarding UVa's participation in post-Aug. 12 projects.