Charlottesville Declared Capital of Resistance

Sean Gill, staff writer

Mayor Mike Signer made a strong declaration for Charlottesville as he announced the city as a Capital of the Resistance on Jan. 31 in front of hundreds that gathered at Charlottesville City Hall.

It was a declaration made in response to President Donald J. Trump’s executive order filed on Friday, Jan. 27, which affects thousands of refugees trying to escape hostile situations in their home countries.

“This is not about politics or about party or even a president. This is about America and about American values,” Signer told the crowd of hundreds of people.

Other speakers were also at the press conference such as Khizr Khan, Gold Star Father of United States Army Captain Humayun Khan, who was killed in 2004 during the Iraq War. Khan is most recently known for his speech given during the Democratic National Convention in July 2016. “Thank you for standing for the values of this country and for the values of our forefathers,” said Khan as he addressed those attending the press conference.

There were also some people in attendance showing support for President Trump’s executive order. Jason Kessler, a conservative blogger, was live streaming the event while providing commentary to his viewers. Police intervened when another attendee attempted to grab the phone out of Kessler’s hands.

Currently, the declaration is merely a symbolic move as Signer was there on behalf of himself only and wasn’t representing the entire Charlottesville City Council. Signer talked about the steps he plans on taking to help Charlottesville’s refugee population. This included providing easy access to immigration lawyers and attempts to declare Charlottesville a sanctuary city.

The declaration has not received any immediate response from the Trump administration. However, President Trump stated, days prior to the press conference, that federal funding would be cut for any sanctuary cities.