Our staff discovered a video showing a person firing at another person in Charlottesville on Aug. 12 during a routine review of all photos and videos taken by staff and volunteers on the scene. We turned the video over to law enforcement agencies for further investigation.

On Aug. 18, Governor Terry McAuliffe issued an executive order that temporarily blocked protests at the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Richmond. This executive order raises some serious First Amendment concerns.

On National Public Radio’s Morning Edition today, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe blamed the ACLU for the violence that took place on Saturday in Charlottesville. The ACLU of Virginia’s Executive Director Claire G. Gastanaga issued this response.

Since its inception, and even as we have and will continue to fight for free speech for everyone, the ACLU of Virginia has stood up for respect, decency, equality and humanity for all. What happened today had nothing to do with free speech.

The ACLU of Virginia stands firmly for the right to freedom of expression for everyone. We stand just as firmly in opposition to violence, racism and hatred of any kind. We urge anyone participating in demonstrations or protests today to do so in a spirit of peaceful, productive discourse.

Tonight, Judge Glen Conrad ruled in our favor and granted an injunction to allow the planned Unite The Right Rally in Charlottesville to be held at Emancipation Park. The following statement can be attributed to ACLU of Virginia Executive Director Claire Guthrie Gastañaga:

The ACLU-VA and the Rutherford Institute have filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Charlottesville on behalf of “alt-right” activist Jason Kessler claiming his 1st and 14th Amendment rights are being denied by the city’s refusal to allow him and supporters to access Emancipation Park to rally

The American Civil Liberties Union and its affiliates in the District of Columbia and Virginia today challenged the Washington area transit system’s advertising restrictions as violations of the First Amendment.

Today the ACLU of Virginia and the Rutherford Institute sent a letter to Charlottesville City Council asking them to reverse their decision to move the “Unite the Right” demonstration planned for Emancipation Park this Saturday to McIntire Park, citing a number of serious First Amendment concerns.