The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the nation’s oldest Sikh American civil rights organization, denounces the white supremacist rallies in Charlottesville, VA as anti-American, and against the very ideals that we must aspire to as a country.
Today, we mourn the victims of this tragedy: Heather Heyer, who was killed when a car rammed into a crowd of counter protesters, and Lt. H. Jay Cullen and Trooper Berke M.M. Bates, officers who were killed when their helicopter crashed while monitoring the protest.
“Our deepest condolences and prayers go out to the families of the victims of this senseless and ugly incident,” said SALDEF Executive Director Baldev Singh. “Attacks like this must be denounced by all Americans and our elected officials in the strongest terms possible. Free speech doesn’t equate to a free pass to spread bigotry and hate and inaction by the administration has emboldened these types of acts. Events like this are reprehensible and serve to further weaken the diversity that makes our country strong. We stand firmly against the xenophobic and anti-immigrant rhetoric used by the organizers of this rally, and will continue to work towards a safe and secure climate for all Americans.”
SALDEF asks all Americans to demand the Trump Administration and Congress condemn this hate and intolerance; and take immediate action to curb the violence targeting communities of color across the country. Make your voice heard and please contact President Donald Trump, your United States Senators and your member of Congress, to demand they condemn acts like this. We also encourage everyone to participate in a local interfaith or community vigil to show solidarity with the victims and publicly stand against hate.