Christopher Cantwell: Difference between revisions

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== Unite the Right Rally and aftermath ==

During the rally, Cantwell was filmed shouting "Jews will not replace us!" with a crowd of other [[White Supremacy|~~White Supremacists~~]]. He ~~also began ranting~~ about how the Alt-Right are not nonviolent, and threatened to kill several protestors. He also allegedly pepper-sprayed several counter-protestors. Following the rally, a warrant was put out for Cantwell's arrest due to his actions during the rally. On his podcast ''Radical Agenda'', Cantwell published a video of him talking about the warrant during which he struggled to hold back tears, resulting in widespread mockery of Cantwell and earning him the nickname "The Crying Nazi".

During the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in August 2017, Cantwell was filmed shouting "Jews will not replace us!" with a crowd of other [[White Supremacy|white supremacists]]. He ranted about how the Alt-Right are not nonviolent, and threatened to kill several protestors. He also allegedly pepper-sprayed several counter-protestors. Following the rally, a warrant was put out for Cantwell's arrest due to his actions during the rally. On his podcast ''Radical Agenda'', Cantwell published a video of him talking about the warrant during which he struggled to hold back tears, resulting in widespread mockery of Cantwell and earning him the nickname "The Crying Nazi".<ref>[http://www.newsweek.com/christopher-cantwell-charlottesville-crying-nazi-wants-sympathy-jail-657675 Christopher Cantwell, the Charlottesville 'Crying Nazi,' Wants Your Sympathy From Jail], ''Newsweek''</ref>

Cantwell turned himself in on ~~the 24th of~~ August, and was indicted on counts of unlawful bodily injury, assault and battery, malicious injury with a caustic substance and public intoxication. He pleaded guilty to public intoxication, and received a fine of $116. The charges of unlawful bodily and malicious injury with a caustic substance were later dropped on the grounds that so many people at the rally had pepper spray it was impossible to tell if Cantwell was responsible. He later pleaded guilty to assault and battery, and served seven months in jail. He was also banned from entering the State of Virginia for five years.

Cantwell turned himself in on 24 August, and was indicted on counts of unlawful bodily injury, assault and battery, malicious injury with a caustic substance and public intoxication. He pleaded guilty to public intoxication and received a fine of $116. The charges of unlawful bodily and malicious injury with a caustic substance were later dropped on the grounds that so many people at the rally had pepper spray it was impossible to tell if Cantwell was responsible.<ref>[https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2017/11/13/after-hearing-christopher-cantwell-faces-one-remaining-felony-charge After hearing, Christopher Cantwell faces one remaining felony charge], Southern Poverty Law Center</ref> He later pleaded guilty to assault and battery and served seven months in jail.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190323144718/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/crying-nazi-barred-from-virginia-after-pleading-guilty-to-assault-during-charlottesville-rally/2018/07/20/164480a4-8c5f-11e8-81bf-28c7cd96bbc2_story.html ‘Crying Nazi’ pleads guilty to assault committed during Charlottesville rally], ''The Washington Post''</ref> He was also banned from entering the State of Virginia for five years.<ref>[https://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/white-nationalist-christopher-cantwell-banned-from-virginia-for-five-years/article_b7eccde9-6f3d-532d-97ec-69ce34fce05e.html White nationalist Christopher Cantwell banned from Virginia for five years after pleading guilty to assault at UVA torch march], ''Richmond Times''</ref>

In October 2017, Cantwell, Jason Kessler, [[Richard Spencer]] and a number of other individuals and groups involved in the rally were sued by nine Charlottesville residents for violating the civil rights of the people of Charlottesville by inciting the violence that occurred at the rally. On November 23, 2021, a jury found all defendants liable on a charge of civil conspiracy and found Cantwell, Kessler, Spencer, [[Elliott Kline]] and [[Robert Ray|Robert "Azzmador" Ray]] liable for race-based harassment or violence. Cantwell was ordered to pay a total of $700, 000 in damages.<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/unite-the-right-lawsuit-charlottesville-b1963126.html Jury awards $25m to victims in 2017 'Unite the Right' assault], ''The Independent''</ref> The jury was unable to reach a verdict on charges of federal conspiracy to incite violence.<ref>[https://www.wsj.com/articles/charlottesville-trial-verdict-jury-finds-prominent-white-supremacist-leaders-liable-11637698395 Charlottesville Trial Verdict: Jury Finds Prominent White Supremacist Leaders Liable], ''The Wall Street Journal''</ref>

Cantwell has also been convicted of drunk driving, illegal possession of a weapon and possession of stolen property, and is currently in a feud with [[Andrew Auernheimer]], alleged webmaster of the Alt-Right website [[The Daily Stormer|''The Daily Stormer'']].

Cantwell writes essays on his personal blog about topics including white supremacy, alt-right politics, libertarianism, and the men's rights movement. He has written for and republished essays about the men's rights movement to ''A Voice for Men'', a men's rights and antifeminist website. In 2013 and 2014, he wrote and republished his anti-police essays as a volunteer for Cop Block, a police accountability organization.

Cantwell co-hosted the anarcho-capitalist radio show ''Free Talk Live ''but was suspended in 2015 after tweeting a racial slur against an African American person who criticized him. He later was removed from the position permanently. Meanwhile, in December 2013, Cantwell began what he called ''Some Garbage Podcast'', disseminated through YouTube and elsewhere, and in April 2015 renamed it ''Radical Agenda'', subtitled "a show about common sense extremism".

==Criminal convictions==

In July 2018, Cantwell was convicted on two counts of misdemeanor assault and battery for pepper spraying two people at the rally.

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 == Unite the Right Rally and aftermath ==
-During the rally, Cantwell was filmed shouting "Jews will not replace us!" with a crowd of other [[White Supremacy|White Supremacists]]. He also began ranting about how the Alt-Right are not nonviolent, and threatened to kill several protestors. He also allegedly pepper-sprayed several counter-protestors. Following the rally, a warrant was put out for Cantwell's arrest due to his actions during the rally. On his podcast ''Radical Agenda'', Cantwell published a video of him talking about the warrant during which he struggled to hold back tears, resulting in widespread mockery of Cantwell and earning him the nickname "The Crying Nazi".
+During the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in August 2017, Cantwell was filmed shouting "Jews will not replace us!" with a crowd of other [[White Supremacy|white supremacists]]. He ranted about how the Alt-Right are not nonviolent, and threatened to kill several protestors. He also allegedly pepper-sprayed several counter-protestors. Following the rally, a warrant was put out for Cantwell's arrest due to his actions during the rally. On his podcast ''Radical Agenda'', Cantwell published a video of him talking about the warrant during which he struggled to hold back tears, resulting in widespread mockery of Cantwell and earning him the nickname "The Crying Nazi".<ref>[http://www.newsweek.com/christopher-cantwell-charlottesville-crying-nazi-wants-sympathy-jail-657675 Christopher Cantwell, the Charlottesville 'Crying Nazi,' Wants Your Sympathy From Jail], ''Newsweek''</ref>
-Cantwell turned himself in on the 24th of August, and was indicted on counts of unlawful bodily injury, assault and battery, malicious injury with a caustic substance and public intoxication. He pleaded guilty to public intoxication, and received a fine of $116. The charges of unlawful bodily and malicious injury with a caustic substance were later dropped on the grounds that so many people at the rally had pepper spray it was impossible to tell if Cantwell was responsible. He later pleaded guilty to assault and battery, and served seven months in jail. He was also banned from entering the State of Virginia for five years.
+Cantwell turned himself in on 24 August, and was indicted on counts of unlawful bodily injury, assault and battery, malicious injury with a caustic substance and public intoxication. He pleaded guilty to public intoxication and received a fine of $116. The charges of unlawful bodily and malicious injury with a caustic substance were later dropped on the grounds that so many people at the rally had pepper spray it was impossible to tell if Cantwell was responsible.<ref>[https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2017/11/13/after-hearing-christopher-cantwell-faces-one-remaining-felony-charge After hearing, Christopher Cantwell faces one remaining felony charge], Southern Poverty Law Center</ref> He later pleaded guilty to assault and battery and served seven months in jail.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190323144718/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/crying-nazi-barred-from-virginia-after-pleading-guilty-to-assault-during-charlottesville-rally/2018/07/20/164480a4-8c5f-11e8-81bf-28c7cd96bbc2_story.html ‘Crying Nazi’ pleads guilty to assault committed during Charlottesville rally], ''The Washington Post''</ref> He was also banned from entering the State of Virginia for five years.<ref>[https://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/white-nationalist-christopher-cantwell-banned-from-virginia-for-five-years/article_b7eccde9-6f3d-532d-97ec-69ce34fce05e.html White nationalist Christopher Cantwell banned from Virginia for five years after pleading guilty to assault at UVA torch march], ''Richmond Times''</ref>
+In October 2017, Cantwell, Jason Kessler, [[Richard Spencer]] and a number of other individuals and groups involved in the rally were sued by nine Charlottesville residents for violating the civil rights of the people of Charlottesville by inciting the violence that occurred at the rally. On November 23, 2021, a jury found all defendants liable on a charge of civil conspiracy and found Cantwell, Kessler, Spencer, [[Elliott Kline]] and [[Robert Ray|Robert "Azzmador" Ray]] liable for race-based harassment or violence. Cantwell was ordered to pay a total of $700, 000 in damages.<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/unite-the-right-lawsuit-charlottesville-b1963126.html Jury awards $25m to victims in 2017 'Unite the Right' assault], ''The Independent''</ref> The jury was unable to reach a verdict on charges of federal conspiracy to incite violence.<ref>[https://www.wsj.com/articles/charlottesville-trial-verdict-jury-finds-prominent-white-supremacist-leaders-liable-11637698395 Charlottesville Trial Verdict: Jury Finds Prominent White Supremacist Leaders Liable], ''The Wall Street Journal''</ref>
 Cantwell has also been convicted of drunk driving, illegal possession of a weapon and possession of stolen property, and is currently in a feud with [[Andrew Auernheimer]], alleged webmaster of the Alt-Right website [[The Daily Stormer|''The Daily Stormer'']].
-Cantwell writes essays on his personal blog about topics including white supremacy, alt-right politics, libertarianism, and the men's rights movement. He has written for and republished essays about the men's rights movement to ''A Voice for Men'', a men's rights and antifeminist website. In 2013 and 2014, he wrote and republished his anti-police essays as a volunteer for Cop Block, a police accountability organization.
-Cantwell co-hosted the anarcho-capitalist radio show ''Free Talk Live ''but was suspended in 2015 after tweeting a racial slur against an African American person who criticized him. He later was removed from the position permanently. Meanwhile, in December 2013, Cantwell began what he called ''Some Garbage Podcast'', disseminated through YouTube and elsewhere, and in April 2015 renamed it ''Radical Agenda'', subtitled "a show about common sense extremism".
 ==Criminal convictions==
 In July 2018, Cantwell was convicted on two counts of misdemeanor assault and battery for pepper spraying two people at the rally.