Allie was among the 19 people injured when white supremacist James Alex Fields Jr allegedly drove his car into a crowd of anti-racist protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia in August."When the car backed away, he smashed me between his car and I got kind of hung up on the trunk of another," Allie, who asked her last name not be used, recalled."He smashed my pelvis into a parked car," she told Al JazeeraThe attack also killed 32-year-old Heather Heyer. Allie suffered a crushed pelvis that left her with sizeable hospital bills.While she has insurance, under the US healthcare system she still must pay "deductibles" or partial fees before the insurance fully kicks in.Allie's out-of-pocket limit for 2017 was between $15,000 and $16,000."This is going to be a lifetime injury," Allie said. "I'm going to need physical therapy for probably the rest of my life and orthopedist for at least the next decade."That is why when she heard about a fund by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) to support victims of the far-right attack, she thought she could find some reprieve."I was hoping the DSA would be a faster route," Allie said.But after more than three months of searching for information, writing applications and attempting to find answers, Allie and others still have not received any financial help from the DSA, prompting questions over the DSA handling of the money. The DSA, which has gained about 20,000 new members over the past year, raised more than $198,000 to help victims of the far-right attack in Charlottesville through a crowdfunding page. Allie said she learned about the DSA fund "almost immediately" after her initial hospital stay, and she reached out to the DSA to apply for assistance."It took me a really long time to get in touch with the DSA, locally," Allie said.A few weeks passed and she was put in contact with the Richmond DSA chapter through a friend and finally received information about how to apply.The DSA's national office told her she had to report the hospital where she received care and the police officers she spoke to regarding the attack.But the requirement of police involvement for Charlottesville and Richmond activists was controversial, Allie said.Charlottesville police have arrested left-wing, anti-racist protesters for petty offenses, prompting fear among many. A grand jury related to the events of the August violence began on November 12 and activists are afraid they may be summoned.Activists in nearby Richmond have told Al Jazeera that they suspect police department has attempted to infiltrate their ranks.A 220-page review of the police's handling of the rally released on Friday said law enforcement on the local and state levels were not adequately prepared for the rally.This view was shared by counterprotesters, who have maintained that police allowed things to escalate.Charlottesville Police Lt Stephen Upman said at a press conference that police were planning "to determine our next steps" after the report.Police actions during the rally worsened the already-strained relationship between law enforcement and left-wing activists.A police-related controversy had struck the DSA earlier in August when Danny Fetonte, a long-time organiser from the Austin, Texas chapter, was elected to the DSA's National Political Committee (NPC), the party's primary political leadership body.
Fetonte, who worked with the Combine Law Enforcement Association of Texas (CLEAT), was involved in organising police unions, a fact in which many in which many of the DSA's new members took issue. CLEAT, the state's largest police officer union, has been accused of working against police reform.
Fetonte eventually stepped down after DSA chapters across the country called for his dismissal.
Despite her concerns about police involvement, Allie still applied for the funds, submitting all the required documents.
Fetonte, who worked with the Combine Law Enforcement Association of Texas (CLEAT), was involved in organising police unions, a fact in which many in which many of the DSA's new members took issue. CLEAT, the state's largest police officer union, has been accused of working against police reform.
Fetonte eventually stepped down after DSA chapters across the country called for his dismissal.
Despite her concerns about police involvement, Allie still applied for the funds, submitting all the required documents.