The primary organiser of the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia last summer has formally agreed not to organise any armed group activities in the city going forward, striking a major blow to his plans for a second demonstration.

Jason Kessler, who organised last year’s deadly Unite the Right rally, has settled a lawsuit with the city of Charlottesville by promising not to facilitate any armed, paramilitary activity at future rallies in the city. He is one of nearly 20 other rally organisers, militias, and white supremacist groups to sign a similar pledge.

The agreement, called a consent decree, bars the rally attendees from participating in the kind of pre-planned, armed activities they exhibited last year, when hundreds of people descended on the town carrying tiki torches, bats, and firearms to protest the removal of a confederate statute. Documents show the participants repeatedly referred to the rally as a “battle” in the days beforehand, and told attendees to come “prepared to fight”.

Mr Kessler has previously criticised others for signing the consent decree, and said he was “not going to sign away people’s right to defend themselves”.

“Because I am planning this Unite the Right anniversary rally, I want the ability for people who are attending the rally to be able to defend themselves," he said in an 11 June video entitled "Why I won’t sign the Charlottesville government’s consent decree".

Mr Kessler did not respond to The Independent’s request for comment.

Nazi shouts "Hey n****" and fires gunshot at counter-protester in Charlottesville

Thursday’s consent decree significantly restricts the activities of Mr Kessler and any participants in a second Unite the Right rally, according to Mary McCord, the lead counsel for plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

“Should Kessler hold an anniversary rally in Charlottesville on 12 August, as he has vowed to do, these court orders ensure that he and other participants will not repeat the organised and intimidating displays of paramilitary power that led to chaos, fear, and violent confrontations in the city streets last year,” Ms McCord said in a statement.

Ms McCord, as well as attorneys from two local law firms, filed the suit against 23 rallies attendees and two counter-protest groups in October of last year. The lawsuit claims that participants acted as “paramilitary units” or “unregulated private armies” during the rally – a violation of a Virginia law barring paramilitary activity.

Nineteen defendants have signed the consent decree, which bans them from returning to Charlottesville “as part of a unit of two or more persons acting in concert while armed with a firearm, weapon, shield, or any item whose purpose is to inflict bodily harm, at any demonstration, rally, protest, or march.”

A circuit court judge is expected to file default judgements against four other defendants shortly.

Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Show all 9 1 /9 Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Protesters clash and several are injured White nationalist demonstrators clash with counter demonstrators at the entrance to Lee Park in Charlottesville, Virginia. A state of emergency is declared, August 12 2017 Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Trump supporters at the protest A white nationalist demonstrator walks into Lee Park in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. Hundreds of people chanted, threw punches, hurled water bottles and unleashed chemical sprays on each other Saturday after violence erupted at a white nationalist rally in Virginia. AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville State police stand ready in riot gear Virginia State Police cordon off an area around the site where a car ran into a group of protesters after a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Militia armed with assault rifles White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' with body armor and combat weapons evacuate comrades who were pepper sprayed after the 'Unite the Right' rally was declared a unlawful gathering by Virginia State Police. Militia members marched through the city earlier in the day, armed with assault rifles. Getty Images Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee The statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee stands behind a crowd of hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' during the 'Unite the Right' rally 12 August 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. They are protesting the removal of the statue from Emancipation Park in the city. Getty Images Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Racial tensions sparked the violence White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' exchange insults with counter-protesters as they attempt to guard the entrance to Lee Park during the 'Unite the Right' rally Getty Violence on the streets of Charlottesville A car plows through protesters A vehicle drives into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The incident resulted in multiple injuries, some life-threatening, and one death. AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Rescue personnel help injured people after a car ran into a large group of protesters after an white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville President Donald Trump speaks about the ongoing situation in Charlottesville, Virginia from his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. He spoke about "loyalty" and "healing wounds" left by decades of racism.

Also included in the suit is left-wing militia Redneck Revolt, which describes themselves as an “anti-racist, anti-fascist community defence formation”. The group signed on to the consent decree on Tuesday, despite local groups calling for them to be dropped from the suit entirely.

“We in Redneck Revolt recognise that the consent decree does not alter our core principle of community defence, or lessen the commitment we hold to show up for each other and our communities,” the organisation said in a statement on their website.

“Rather than continue to spend energy and resources on a trial where the state’s preferred outcome is clearly predetermined, we are choosing to end the litigation and focus our energies on the many important fights ahead,” they added.