Far-right organizer Jason Kessler will not be allowed to host an event in Charlottesville, Va., on the anniversary of the deadly "Unite the Right" rally, city officials announced Monday.
Kessler applied for a permit to host another protest in the small Virginia college town, which made international headlines this past summer after a white supremacist rammed his car into a crowd, killing 32-year-old counterprotester Heather Heyer.
Kessler was hoping to recognize "the sacrifices made by political dissidents in Lee Park August 12, 2017" on the anniversary of Heyer's death and protest "government civil rights abuse and failure to follow security plans for political dissidents."
His application for the two-day event next year was denied on the grounds of public safety.
On Monday, the city said Kessler's application "likely underestimates the number of participants," and that "no reasonable allocation of city funds or resources can guarantee that event participants will be free of any 'threat of violence.'"
Kessler, who has previously threatened to sue the city if the permit is denied, told The Washington Post, "The decision is bogus and should be reversed in court."
"We're going to be suing Charlottesville for this and many other civil rights violations starting early next year. And the rally is still happening," he added.
