UN experts: Charlottesville exemplifies rising racism in US
GENEVA — Three United Nations human rights experts decried rising racism and xenophobia in the United States, citing the white nationalist demonstrations in Charlottesville, Virginia, as the latest example and urging U.S. authorities Tuesday to punish perpetrators of hate crimes.
The call by the experts in a sharply worded statement — along with comments by politicians in Germany and Britain — demonstrated that the Charlottesville violence has the international community paying attention to the racial climate in the United States — regarded by many as a standard-bearer on human rights principles.
One of the experts, Anastasia Crickley, said the three were “shocked and horrified” by the weekend events and “the racial hatred of the white supremacists, of the right-wing extremists, and of the neo-Nazi groups” that flocked to Virginia.
She noted the “terrible and unfortunate death” of Heather Heyer, 32, who was killed by a car that drove into a crowd of counterdemonstrators.