I’m calling to say that, as someone who plans on attending Otakon, I would feel deeply unsafe if the “white civil rights” rally were to take place at Lafayette square - less than a mile away from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center - at the same time. At organizer David Kessler’s previous rally, a white supremacist attendee deliberately drove his car into a crowd of people, injuring 19 and killing one. His new rally explicitly celebrates the anniversary of that deadly event, and has the potential to lead to similar violence.

As it happens, Otakon will attract crowds of people - many visibly members of groups threatened by white supremacists - for blocks around the convention center. As someone who plans on mingling with these crowds, I will not feel safe with Kessler’s rally nearby, as it could very well lead to a repeat of the tragedy at Charlottesville. Otakon has existed as a peaceful gathering of anime fans for more than two decades, and I don’t want my fun weekend disrupted by the threat of potential violence.

I hope that you will take my thoughts into consideration when deciding whether to grant this event is permit.