On August 12, I had a most unusual day. I awoke at 4am to drive in the dark and fog, from my homr near DC through the beautiful hills of VA to Charlottesville, responding to the invitation from colleagues living in Charlottesville. I joined in an interfaith prayer service – the great Cornell West was there to speak of Love Over Fear as a response to the invasion of the hate-filled white supremacists into Charlottesville. We were reminded the principles of non-violence presence, and then we paraded a few blocks to bear witness to, to pray for and sing loudly, as the men – and they were all white men, just a few women – as the men began to arrive at the park with the statue of Robert E Lee.

At first, things were relatively calm – us singing or chanting – them shouting, the threatening armed militia staying quiet. I enjoyed being with colleagues, talk with our new UUA President and with the great Cornell West. But as the mists of the morning lifted, and the sun grew warm, the atmosphere heated up. Soon there were Black Lives Matter groups, and anti-Fascists marching in – along with KKK groups, paramilitary gangs, Alt-right Nazi-types. Wave after wave of groups invading the space. The noise level raised – like thunder. We were surrounded by circles of armed forces – city police, State police, National guard troops – and above us the roar of a military helicopter circling us. The shouting turned to pushing. Then things started being thrown – and soon there was pepper spray and then tear gas. Alt-right troops pushed into clergy lines; Antifas pushed back; drummers added drama.

I was a witness to a summer storm – the result of fear and mistrust and hatred spilling out and seemingly washing over the peace and love the 100 clergy present had tried to bring. It became so stormy that the police put on riot gear and demanded we all leave – pushing all – some 500 townswomen and men and old folks and young – into the streets to disperse.

But the storm didn’t end then. Groups continued to meet and fight in the streets. I was witness to several battles, and walked with young people trying to counter the hatred. I saw people getting hurt, and I saw people helping out. As we know, the intensity peaked when a car drove into a group of people – killed one, sent 19 others to the hospital. I had left that block only moments before the collision. I had walked and talked with Heather only an hour before that. As I found refuge in a local church, the news came of the tragedy. It was an intense summer storm.

Linda Olson Peebles (Meadville Lombard MDiv ’97 DDiv ’11)
former UUA Trustee, UUA MFC, UUMA President