Jason Kessler

[[File:Jason Kessler (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|165px|Jason Kessler: not so great]]{{Alt-right}}
'''Jason Kessler''' {{lived|1983}} is a member of the alt-right and the organizer of both the 2017 and 2018 [[Unite the Right]] rallies. Kessler received a bachelor's degree in [[psychology]] from the University of Virginia in 2009.<ref name=about>[https://web.archive.org/web/20171107014546/http://jasonkessler.us/about/ About] Real News w/ Jason Kessler (archived from November 7, 2017).</ref>

He was formerly a supporter of [[Barack Obama]] in 2008, working for a [[Democratic]] polling organization.<ref>[http://wina.com/news/064460-jason-kessler-participated-in-occupy-says-another-activist/ Jason Kessler participated in Occupy, says another activist] (2017) ''WINA News Radio''.</ref><ref name=shapira>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/inside-jason-kesslers-hate-fueled-rise/2018/08/11/335eaf42-999e-11e8-b60b-1c897f17e185_story.html Inside Jason Kessler’s hate-fueled rise] by Ian Shapira (August 11, 2018) ''The Washington Post''.</ref> He participated in the Charlottesville, [[Virginia]] branch of [[Occupy Wall Street]] in 2011, where he was regarded as violent and contrary to the Occupy ethos.<ref name=shapira/>

In 2013, Kessler claims to have been "[[Red pill|red-pilled]]" "when a [[PR]] executive was publicly excoriated for a tasteless Twitter joke about [[AIDS]] in [[Africa]]."<ref name=splc>[https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/individual/jason-kessler Jason Kessler] Southern Poverty Law Center</ref> By 2016, Kessler started creating awful [[literature]], ''Badland Blues'', about "a homeless dwarf madly in unrequited love with a local waitress, Marissa."<ref>''Badland Blues'' by Jason Kessler (2016) New Pulp Press. ISBN 1945734027.</ref><ref>''Midnight Road'' by Jason Kessler (2016) Mad Dimension Press. ISBN 0692627677.</ref> This was at about the same time that he became a [[Donald Trump|Trump]] supporter.<ref name=shapira/> In 2016, he was accused of promoting racism at a Charlottesville city council meeting and accused the Vice Mayor Wes Bellamy, an [[African American]], of being a [[Black supremacy|black supremacist]].<ref name=shapira/> Bellamy's view was that Kessler was taking [[deliberate offence]] because he was mad that a black man who was his age had a job and Kessler didn't.<ref name=shapira/> Also in 2017, Kessler met [[Richard Spencer]] and the conversion to the alt-right became complete.<ref name=shapira/>

Kessler has written for [[VDARE]] GotNews, and [[The Daily Caller]].<ref name=about/> Kessler's infamy became so great that The Daily Caller removed him from their website following the first Unite the Right rally.<ref>[https://www.snopes.com/news/2017/08/14/daily-caller-removes-jason-kesslers-byline-from-site/ The Daily Caller Removes 'Unite the Right' Organizer Jason Kessler’s Bylines From Web Site. The conservative site has deleted articles by a white supremacist who organized the deadly rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.] by Bethania Palma (18 July 2018) ''Snopes''.</ref>

As of 2018, Kessler is [[Argumentum ad cellarium|living at his parents' home]]<ref>[https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/5944dk/watch-unite-the-right-organizer-jason-kessler-get-owned-by-his-dad-during-a-livestream-vgtrn Watch Unite the Right Organizer Jason Kessler Get Owned by His Dad During a Livestream: "You get outta my room!"] by Allie Conti (Aug 15 2018, 11:21am) ''Vice''.</ref> to save money for the numerous lawsuits brought against him for the violence and death at the first Unite the Right rally.<ref name=shapira/> His father supports him as a son, but is totally opposed to his politics.<ref name=shapira/>

==Crime==
Kessler "was convicted in 2005 for shoplifting, obstructing justice and for a string of failures to appear and register, in addition to numerous traffic violations and citations."<ref name=splc/>

In 2017, Kessler pled guilty to "misdemeanor assault after he punched a man while gathering signatures for his petition against Bellamy."<ref name=splc/> He was convicted of civil conspiracy and race-based harassment or violence and awarded $200,000 in punitive damages.<ref>{{wpa|Sines v. Kessler|''Sines v. Kessler''}}</ref><ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/unite-the-right-lawsuit-charlottesville-b1963126.html Jury awards $25m in damages to victims in 2017 ‘Unite the Right’ assault in Charlottesville] by Alex Woodward (23 November 2021 22:47 GMT) ''Independent''.</ref>

==External links==
*[https://www.snopes.com/tag/jason-kessler/ Articles tagged: Jason Kessler] — [[Snopes]]

==See also==
*[[Patrick Little]]
*[[Richard Spencer]]
*[[Jon Minadeo II]]
*[[Nick Fuentes]]

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kessler, Jason}}
[[Category:Alt-right]]
[[Category:Antisemites]]
[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:Clogosphere]]
[[Category:Conspiracy theorists]]
[[Category:Doxers]]
[[Category:Fascists]]
[[Category:Great Replacement conspiracy theorists]]
[[Category:Homophobes]]
[[Category:Internet kooks]]
[[Category:Islamophobes]]
[[Category:Leftists who turned right with age]]
[[Category:Neo-Nazis]]
[[Category:Racists]]
[[Category:Right-wing activists]]
[[Category:Sexists]]

Categories: Alt-right, Antisemites, Authors, Clogosphere, Conspiracy theorists, Doxers, Fascists, Great Replacement conspiracy theorists, Homophobes, Internet kooks, Islamophobes, Leftists who turned right with age, Neo-Nazis, Racists, Right-wing activists, Sexists