1 Dead, 19 Injured In US Far-right Rally Violence
One person has died and 19 others were injured when a car rammed a crowd of people opposing a far-right rally in the US state of Virginia, police say.
Earlier, street brawls erupted between white nationalists planning to attend the march and counter-protesters.
The mayor of Charlottesville, where the now-cancelled rally was taking place, said he was “heartbroken” at the death.
President Donald Trump has condemned the violence, and local officials have declared a state of emergency.
The “Unite the Right” march was called to protest against plans to remove a statue of a general who had fought for the pro-slavery Confederacy during the US Civil War.
In addition to those injured in the car incident, the Charlottesville Police Department said 15 were injured in other violence related to the far-right march.
Separately, there were reports of a police helicopter crashing near a woods in the city, however, there has been no indication that this was related to the violence.
‘Car backed up and hit again’
Video posted on social media showed a car ploughing at speed into several slow-moving vehicles, which were surrounded by a densely packed crowd.
A witness said one girl got “tore up” after the car “backed up and hit again”.
Officials said the driver had been taken into custody.
Witnesses said the car backed up and hit the crowd more than once
Police earlier fired tear gas against demonstrators and said that arrests had been made after a declaration of unlawful assembly at Emancipation Park.
The far-right protesters, some waving Confederate flags, carrying shields and wearing helmets, are angry about the planned removal of a statue of General Robert E Lee from Charlottesville.
The New York Times reports that some of them were chanting “You will not replace us,” and “Jew will not replace us.”
Anti-racism organisations such as Black Lives Matter also held marches.
President Donald Trump condemned “in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry, and violence on many sides”.
“The hate and the division must stop right now,” he told reporters, speaking in New Jersey, where he is on a working holiday. “We have to come together as Americans with love for our nation.”
Charlottesville Mayor Mike Signer had earlier called the rally a “parade of hatred, bigotry, racism and intolerance”.
US Civil War and alt-right links
- 1861-65 US Civil War between the northern and southern states was principally caused by slavery
- Southern Confederate forces, which backed slavery, eventually surrendered to Union army and slavery was abolished
- A number of cities have grappled with Confederate symbols that still exist today, with flags and monuments becoming key venues for alt-right groups in recent months
- Supporters say Confederate symbols represent freedom and liberty, but opponents say their roots are in slavery
- The alt-right is a disparate group of provocateurs who hate political correctness and love Donald Trump, but critics say they are bigoted white nationalists
On Friday, the white nationalists held lit torches – which some observers described as a reference to the Ku Klux Klan – and chanted “White lives matter” as they marched through the University of Virginia in the city.
Members of a white nationalist group were armed and wearing militia uniforms
Charlottesville is considered a liberal college town – and 86% of the county voted for Hillary Clinton in last year’s presidential elections.
However, the town has become a focal point for white nationalists after the city council voted to remove the statue of Gen Lee.
Some observers also argue that Mr Trump’s election to the White House re-energised the far right across the US.
