WASHINGTON — A torchlight rally by white supremacists that descended into violence in Charlottesville, Va., in August drew participants from at least 35 states and spoke to the ability of the self-described ‘‘alt-right’’ fringe movement to mobilize adherents nationwide, the Anti-Defamation League said in a report Sunday.
The analysis of 200 participants came one day after Richard Spencer, the leader of the Aug. 11-12 demonstration, returned Saturday with fewer than 50 followers to the home of the University of Virginia as it celebrated its bicentennial and posted video of a planned, 10-minute ‘‘flash mob.’’
Spencer called Saturday’s protest — where demonstrators chanted ‘‘We’re going to come back again’’ — a success, but the event was far smaller than August’s ‘‘Unite the Right’’ rally, which drew an estimated 500 to 600 participants, the ADL report noted.
Advertisement
The individuals identified came mostly from the eastern United States, but included some from as far away as Alaska, California, Arizona, and Washington. Only 7 percent were women, reflecting studies that the movement is mostly young and male.