Culture

Celebrities Condemn White Supremacist Violence in Charlottesville

John Legend, Chris Evans among stars angry at President Trump for not being more vocal.

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White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' clash with counter-protesters as they enter Lee Park during the 'Unite the Right' rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

By Ethan Sacks

As violence spread between white supremacists and counter protesters in Charlottesville—with one woman killed when an alt-right supporter drove a car into a crowd — celebrities are taking a side.

A number of bold-faced names took to social media to condemn the highly visible presence of flags with swastikas on American soil, and to lay much of the blame for the racial divide on display at the feet of President Trump.

Particularly damning for some of those celebrities, was Trump’s lack of specificity in condemning the white supremacist groups for instigating the situation, opting to blame “many sides” for the violence. Some charged that he was afraid to alienate a major base of support.

The rally was organized by famed white nationalist Jason Kessler in protest of the Virginia city’s decision to take down the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from the city’s Emancipation Park.

The president’s daughter, who is Jewish herself, did strongly condemn the rally in Charlottesville on Saturday.

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