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Lowenna Waters
Aug 10, 2018
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Win McNamee / Getty Images
The white nationalist behind last year's Charlottesville protests, Jason Kessler, has been given air time on NPR, much to listeners' disgust.
White nationalist and member of the alt-right, Kessler was invited onto NPR's morning programme to discuss the second white nationalist rally, 'Unite the right 2', which will be held in Washington DC on Sunday.
It was reported that Kessler was granted his permit to hold the rally in Washington DC on Thursday, which was approved by the National Park Service.
Last year's Charlottesville protest was organised by Kessler to protest the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee, a confederate general. As a result of the protests, a 32-year-old woman Heather Heyer was killed, and more than a dozen people were injured.
We have chosen not to disclose the contents of the interview, because of its racist and abhorrent content.
Needless to say, the internet is disgusted by the fact that he was invited onto the programme.
Taking to Twitter, many people expressed their disgust.
Some defended the right of the station to platform Kessler, however said the interviewer should have been harder on him.
While others thought the interview took him to task.
Most were disgusted that his view was presented as a counterpoint to 'Black Lives Matter'.
While others said that the very fact he had been given a platform was a symptom of white privilege in the media.
In a statement, NPR defended its decision to platform Kessler. A spokesperson told Indy100:
Interviewing the people in the news is part of NPR’s mission to inform the American public, it does not mean NPR is endorsing one view over another.
Our job is to present the facts and the voices that provide context on the day’s events, not to protect our audience from views that might offend them.
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