Online petition urges UVA championship basketball team to refuse upcoming White House invitation

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (FOX 5 DC) - An online petition has been created urging members of University of Virginia's men's college basketball championship team to refuse the likely upcoming invitation from President Trump to visit the White House.

Lacey Kohlmoos, a U.VA. alumna, created the Care2 Petition after the Cavaliers won their first national championship earlier this month. In her online petition, Kohlmoos writes, "Will you join me in urging the team to skip the White House visit in protest of Trump and his support of white supremacy?"

In August 2017, white supremacists who had gathered in Charlottesville to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee clashed with people who showed up to protest. Later, a self-avowed white supremacist intentionally plowed his speeding car into a crowd of counterprotesters, killing a woman and injuring dozens. President Donald Trump refrained from condemning the white nationalists and instead remarked of the protesters and counterprotesters that there were "very fine people on both sides."

Kohlmoos set a goal of 11,000 supporters. At the time this article was written, 10,988 had pledged their support.

"Now it's time for the Cavaliers to stand strong too," Kohlmoos wrote. "By accepting a White House invitation, the team would be condoning the president's reprehensible and divisive behavior, which is unacceptable."

The Associated Press contributed to this article.