20-Year Old Deandre Harris Speaks Out About Being Assaulted by White Supremacists in Charlottesville

[bathroommonkey76]

Twenty-year old aspiring hip-hop artist Deandre Harris moved to Charlottesville, Va., from Suffolk, Va., two years ago for a job opportunity as an Instructional Assistant in the special education program at a local high school. But nothing could prepare him for what he experienced Saturday afternoon, when he took part in a counter protest against the “Unite The Right” white supremacy marches that took place in the city.

By now, you’ve probably seen a photo of Harris that has gone viral. It was captured by Zach D. Roberts, and shows Harris being beaten with poles by a group of white supremacists.

Link to tweet

The shocking photo immediately went far and wide, and although Harris received multiple injuries, he says that he’s thankful to be alive to tell his story.

Link to tweet

“Me and about five of my friends were out protesting. We thought [the racists] left, but at one point they came back. Everyone was exchanging words with the group, but then the KKK and white supremacists just rushed us,” Harris told The Root in an interview.

“They were beating me with poles. I have eight staples in my head, a broken wrist and a chipped tooth,” Harris said.



Read more here:

http://www.theroot.com/interview-20-year-old-deandre-harris-speaks-out-about-1797796038?rev=1502637369492&utm_source=theroot_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow


Here is Deandre's GoFundMe page:

Link to tweet

[dalton99a]

1. They were trying to kill him.

[shenmue]

2. Oh my Lord

[Hoyt]

3. I hope they catch those terrorists and prosecute them as such. We are lucky there are so many

Last edited Sun Aug 13, 2017, 10:47 PM - Edit history (1)

surveillance cameras.

I hope law enforcement -- all the way up to AG Sessions -- works diligently to prosecute the ignorant white wingers, and not just coddle them as has been the case before.

[lark]

26. Police were with the rioters.

Asshole pigs did nothing to help, just stood along the sidelines and watched. Too many rw haters were recruited to infiltrate the police by white nationalist and neo-nazis and I believe that's part of what we were seeing yesterday. How come there aren't pictures of lefties beating up the others - because it didn't happen - all sides are not the same!

[RestoreAmerica2020]

44. To have jeff sessions lead an investigation into white-kkk-nazi-christian terrorist attack

[where a woman was murdered, 19 people were injured, where a white-racist-kkk-nazi-christian terrorist group gathered donning hate symbols on flags and clothing such as the confederate cross, swastika, the othala rune* while shouting racist epitaphs].... is akin to having a rat set his own trap.

It's white-american-christian terrorism! If there is a thorogh investigation, which is unlikely, he''ll [sessions] deem it as a lone wolf attack, 20 yr old kid that was angry, that just went to a trumpf rally, besides anti-racist protestersgot in the way, or some usual re pub deflection..pretty much what we've heard already from trumpf himself blaming both sides--not the side wth racist symbols, shouting hate against all of us; not the side that was armed and prepared, to what kill? And, not the side whose member used a vehicle as a weapon to murder and injure...that's the side that needed to be called out, yet are we really surprised he failed to lead! He can't even send a decent condolence to the family who lost a loved one, those hurt--what an evil racist man.

By eltumpf NOT calling the attack white terrorism, he has given the white-racist-kkk-nazi-christian-terrorists permission to continue their terror tactics and they will! Folks it's going to get worse before it gets better! If there is a thorough investigation which is highly unlikely, yet if at best an inquiry... then it should begin with trumpf, the bannonites (as Joy Reid apt reference on meet the press this morning ) and all the racist- bigot white-supremacists he has surrounded himself. Frankly, it is not a coincidence that he selected jeff sessions and pence...both probably have white hood and robe; make nightly strolls somewhere. The so-called investigation should all include members of republican congress as to any connection to, involvement wth white-racist-kkknazi-christian terrorist. Eltrumpf, his staff, re pubs are an embarrassment to our America!

*Note: A very interesting article pertaining to hate symbols that adorn white terrorist groups can be found on (sorry couldn't copy link) CNN.com: Five Symbols of Hate by Willingham/Witus 2/22/17. Also, Anti-defamation League (ADL) provides an extensive list of hate symbols, slogans used by nazikkkhate groups as does the Southern Poverty Center.








.

[Dustlawyer]

52. Steven Miller worked in Jeff Sessions Senate office before staying with Trump.

[Solly Mack]

4. K&R

[KT2000]

5. they have to catch them

and show their stupid faces everywhere. Then send them to prison.
Cities cannot allow this - Deandre is right.

[sheshe2]

6. It happened right next to the police department.

[SharonClark]

7. Agree 100% and he should sue them as well

[Scarsdale]

8. Hard hats?

Obviously, they went there looking for trouble. Attack in packs, like the cowards they are.

[LiberalLovinLug]

15. Hard hats, military helmuts, poles and shields

Can u imagine the police reaction if it were BLM protesters, or Occupy, or any more liberal protest, called to come in from other States as well. And donning helmuts, and holding poles and carrying hand made shields?

[demigoddess]

16. I can.

why are the cops not blamed too? They stood around too long from what I heard.

[Lucky Luciano]

9. That's serious shit.

I hope those thugs all get caught and do 20 years each. No parole.

[gademocrat7]

10. Horrible

Hope the evil white supremacists are apprehended and thrown under the jail.

[liquid diamond]

11. It's the 1960's all over again.

[raven mad]

36. liquid diamond, I agree - only more frightening.

Because of the Internet, they're more organized, AND more educated than those in the 60's. I hope Deandre heals quickly and that this photo is forwarded to the orange beast in the White House by millions of people.

[tavernier]

12. They are monsters.

Ugly souls and hearts. This beautiful young man, educated, caring... along with the beautiful young woman they murdered...
perhaps since the republicans are such lovers of torture, we should bring back a few tried and true oldies, like being drawn and quartered.

[mcar]

13. I saw that assault on CNN

and still feel sick. Where the hell were the police? Have arrests been made?

[Blue_true]

14. Look to the left of the picture.

Looks like a cop in body armor with his back turned. Didn't he hear to commotion feet away? His superiors should fire his ass.

[mr_lebowski]

19. The shitheads had people there who were dressed like 'authorities', probably one of them ...

BTW, what's with the disembodied head just under the yellow 'clearance' sign on the the right in the picture. Kinda looks like someone speaking into a walkie-talkie, but it's just their head with no body? That's ... trippy ...

Also, generally, this particular name is spelled DeAndre (or sometimes De'Andre), it's almost surely not meant to be spelled Deandre.

[DeminPennswoods]

31. Yeah, they weren't cops, just dressed in helmets/body armor

that resembled what riot police wear. I enlarged the photo and you can see they're not cops.

[Blue_true]

34. Make sense. Was hard to think a cop let that happen. nt

[tanyev]

42. I just noticed there's someone lying face-down on the ground near the faux police's feet.

Doesn't look like a comfortable position for someone to be taking a rest, but he is wearing tan khakis. The guys in police costumes don't seem the least bit concerned about it. Anyone know any more info?

[fishwax]

45. the head is a guy standing behind a barricade shield

See the shield that the guy just in front of him is holding? The disembodied head is holding one of those, too, and so it reflects the light strangely in the photograph and you can't see the torso. The thing that it looks like he's speaking into is another guy's head from further back.

[mcar]

33. Jesus!

He should be fired. I don't have words for how despicable that is.

[Blue_true]

35. Someone else explained what was likely happening.

Their take was the racist had people there in body armor like cops wear at demonstrations. Was hard to think that a cop would be that close and not stop the gang assault.

[bathroommonkey76]

48. Call them

Link to tweet

If anyone wants to call Virgina State Police and let them know the names of these Nazis, here's the number: 804-674-2000

[SunSeeker]

17. K & R for exposure.

[yorkie77]

18. policeman standing behind this and another to the left of photo

Hopefully they moved in to arrest the thugs

[mr_lebowski]

23. The Fucksticks showed up dressed like fake cops/nat'l guard ...

As mentioned above, can you imagine if BLM held a march and showed up with helmets, plastic riot shields, assault rifles, and dressed like fake authority figures like these assholes did?

'No such thing as white privilege' my friggin' ass ...

[calimary]

32. Welcome to DU, yorkie77!

One would hope.

Sure looks like they weren't a deterrent, just standing there.

And they aren't. These folks are, and have been, EMBOLDENED. Particularly since they know their "president" has their backs.

Police stood by at the back of the room when a bunch of racist anti-immigrant pro-trump thugs invaded our Santa Monica Democratic Club meeting - to harass, intimidate, and bully the speakers and disrupt our meeting. Several times, from their aggressive, in-yer-face behavior, it looked as though they were spoiling for a fight. Particularly when several of their pals started crowding around a few budding confrontations with their iPhones ready, recording everything and undoubtedly hoping and praying there'd be fisticuffs - that they could have on-camera to use to post online and have their shit-fits and push their stupid-ass pathetic aggrieved "I'm-such-a-victim" point of view. We did not take the bait. Nobody on our side from our club pushed it to anything physical. Too bad for the disruptors. They didn't get everything they wanted.

[PufPuf23]

20. Where are all the arrests?

Do your job law enforcement.

The FBI can be brought in for these violent hate crimes against civil rights.

Do it with prejudice against the perps.

[oasis]

21. COWARDS.

[SCVDem]

25. It couldn't be because the bad guys were white,

Could it?

It's easier when they are black or brown. And yeah I am calling you cops out.

What did you do?

Condolences to the crew and families of the chopper crash. They should have been home.

[smirkymonkey]

22. I am just horrified and disgusted by this.

These people need to be stopped. This is not "free speech", this is terrorism.

[DashOneBravo]

24. That's despicable

Hopefully they can ID them and then throw the book at them.

[Stonepounder]

27. He was assaulted by White TERRORISTS!!

I don't want fancy-schmancy labels like "White Supremacist" or "Neo-Nazi". I want to call these assholes what they are. They are our very-own, Trump nurtured TERRORISTS! And I want the news media, the talking heads, and everyone else to call them what they are. And I want the DOJ to track them down with all the energy they use to track down "radicalized Muslims" and prosecute them with the same fervor they use on any other terrorist 'hate crime'. These cowards are much more of a threat to us than ISIS!

[spanone]

28. these people are an assault to everything America stands for...the most insidious enemy

[rockfordfile]

29. Why haven't they been arrested? Those Nazis are wanted terrorist.

[Leghorn21]

30. $35,965 of $50k goal has been raised already at gofundme - nice.

So, so sorry Deandre.

[TexasBushwhacker]

37. It's up over $90K as of 9 pm CDT

And one of the thugs has been identified.

[Leghorn21]

38. The guy with the moles, I believe? YEAH TEXAS!! So great!! nt

[TexasBushwhacker]

39. Yes, moley guy. nt

[Skittles]

40. ...

https://everipedia.org/wiki/daniel-dan-borden/

[Leghorn21]

41. Thanks, Skittles! Saw info on DU, but didn't check this page - niiiice - nt

[TexasBushwhacker]

46. Facebook page of Kristoffer Odinsson

https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100012423307758

This is the other guy identified in the Wikipedia blurb.

[ChubbyStar]

47. Name is a lot like odious

Putrid punk ass.

[southerncrone]

43. This is beyond simply hate. This is the embodiment of pure evil.

Our nation cannot tolerate this anymore. A handful of fearful, haters cannot be allowed to control the rest of the citizens of this country. Repudiate all these Nazis & White supremacists.

[bucolic_frolic]

49. Assault with a weapon

as a hate crime

Slammer time

[ck4829]

50. God, it was brutal. Glad he's alive. Hopefully they catch these Dylann Roofies.

I know one's been identified already.

[Squinch]

51. This man works with special ed high school kids. He probably does more good in the world in a day

than all these cowards together have done in their lives.

And I say man only to show respect. He's really just a kid himself and he's been put through this.

[Lee-Lee]

53. This is why I push as many members of marginalized populations

To get trained and educated on self defense and if you are eligible and feel comfortable with it get your concealed carry permit and carry.

Being 20 he wouldn't be eligible in most states. But one armed bystander with the courage to act could have changed the tide of that, most likely without firing a shot as those types are cowards who will run as soon as the balance of power shifts against them.

Self defense is a human right. For all people. I don't get why so many people assume it's only a white thing. Educate yourself. Get training. Get the tools to defend yourself. It's your right to do so.

[Ford_Prefect]

54. Unfortunately that is the point when the police would have shot the "defender" among others.

You may be unaware of the Greensboro Massacre in 1979. Bringing weapons to bear begets return fire rather than retreat. The Police were to blame for lack of control of the situation on that day too.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greensboro_massacre

Rally
Four local TV news camera teams arrived at the Morningside Homes at the corner of Carver and Everitt streets to cover the protest march. Members of the CWP and other anti-Klan supporters gathered to rally the march, which was planned to proceed through the city to the Greensboro City Hall.
As the marchers collected, a caravan of ten cars (and a van) filled with an estimated 40 KKK and American Nazi Party members drove back and forth in front of the housing project. Several marchers beat at the cars with picket sticks or threw rocks at them. In response, the KKK and ANP members got out of their cars, took shotguns, rifles and pistols from the trunks, and fired into the crowd of protesters. Some of the latter were armed with handguns, which they fired during the brief conflict.[2] It is not entirely clear who fired the first shot.[2] Witnesses reported that KKK Mark Sherer fired first, into the air.[9] According to white supremacist Frazier Glenn Miller, the first shots were fired from a handgun by an anti-Klan demonstrator.[10]
The KKK and Nazi members quickly killed Cesar Cauce, Dr. James Waller, and Bill Sampson at the scene. Sandi Smith was shot between the eyes when she looked out from a place where she had taken shelter, and eleven others were wounded. Dr. Michael Nathan died of his wounds at the hospital.[11] The filmed coverage of the shootings was carried on national and international news. It became known as the "Greensboro Massacre." Smith was black, Cauce was Hispanic, and the other three men killed were white. Both blacks and whites were wounded.

[IronLionZion]

56. Open Carry: Black Man Vs White Man

Cops have already killed unarmed minorities for looking someone who might be a little bit dangerous. They won't hesitate to shoot and kill the one minority trying to stop white supremacists from murdering someone.

The black panthers tried this in the 60s with mixed results including Reagan passing stricter gun control in California. I wouldn't put it past Trump to make it official that the 2nd amendment is only for whites just like the rest of the constitution.

[Lee-Lee]

57. I've already explained how that's a set up video

But I see people are still falling for it, since you posted it thinking it's legitimate.

Put on your thinking cap for a minute. Did you notice how the two responses are from officers in totally different uniforms.

Different departments all have different rules, procedures and SOP's for how to respond to armed call. Comparing responses from two totally different agencies is like sending the two people to different restaurants and saying because they were given different menus and served different food it must be racist.

I could take two white people and cherry pick what departments jurisdiction I filmed them in and make the exact same video.

I could also manipulate the response in the same jurisdiction by making different calls to report it. I can call in one and say the person is just walking with a gun and get one response and do another where I call and say he is pointing the gun and screaming at people and get a totally different response, no matter what race.

In short, coming from two different agencies and with no context as to how the calls were made to report them this video is 100% worthless to try and claim bias exists. It's only value to use the obviously set up video to convince people not intelligent enough to spot the obvious cherry picking of jurisdictions or use critical thinking skills to see it's crap that what they are already convinced exists is real.

[IronLionZion]

55. Charge them for attempted murder, aggravated assault and battery with deadly weapons

and of course hate crimes and publish their names and faces everywhere

Very interesting that they go with white polos and khakis like what their president wears during golfing

[workinclasszero]

58. This poor guy is lucky to be alive

I read that this horrendous assault happened in a parking garage right next to a police station!

Does anyone know if that's true?

[BSdetect]

59. I want to see arrests of all those thugs and some serious sentences.

Attempted murder, hate crimes and any other charges.

Life in prison.