As white supremacists battled their opponents in Charlottesville last summer, a counterprotester used an aerosol can to create a small flame-thrower. He said he did so in self-defense and the prosecutor argued for leniency, but Corey Long may be headed for jail.
About fifty people gathered outside the local courthouse, chanting Corey Long Did Nothing Wrong! His legal advisor, Malik Shabazz , agreed.
“If you look at the racism and the racists who invaded this town – Klan that have hung, lynched and killed black people, Neo-Nazis, militia, armed people, no police protection, we must look at Mr. Long in the right context,” he explained.
Long’s lawyer said the 23-year-old had been subject to threats, curses and spitting during the first few hours of Unite the Right and feared for his personal safety. The prosecutor asked the judge for leniency, pointing out that Long had surrendered voluntarily and cooperated fully, but Robert Downer ruled Long’s actions were very serious. He issued a 360-day sentence, suspending 340 of those days and requiring one hundred hours of community service. Outside, supporters hailed Long as a hero.
“He made an ethical decision to stand up against racism and injustice, and sometimes standing up against those decisions you will be rebuked by the American court system, but that does not make Mr. Long wrong,” Shabazz concluded.
The 23-year-old Long, wearing a bright red shirt and black suspenders, smiled and spoke briefly:
“It is what it is. It’s no sweat. All that matters is black power!” he said to a cheering crowd.
Because his conviction is a misdemeanor, he may do only half of his 20-day sentence, and that can be served on weekends. Long’s lawyer says he may appeal.
