Far-right rally turns deadly
Virginia calls state of emergency as protesters clash
THREE people have been killed and dozen of others injured amid violent clashes between white supremacists and anti-fascists ahead of a rally protesting against the removal of a statue to a Confederate general in Charlottesville, Virginia.
A state of emergency was announced by the local and state governments with police declaring the gathering an unlawful assembly and ordering the crowds to disperse.
Some of the far-right group were seen carrying assault rifles and wearing paramilitary clothing, while others had large shields, helmets and gas masks in apparent anticipation of violence ahead of the planned Unite the Right rally against plans to take down the statue to General Robert E. Lee from a local park.
The state police were deployed, with riot police and the National Guard waiting in the wings.
One person was killed when a car drove at speed into anti-fascist protesters, leaving a crowd of people lying injured on the ground.
Two others died in a helicopter crash linked to the rally. However, the circumstances of their deaths were unclear.
Hospital officials said at least 41 people had been hurt, including 26 as a result of the car and 15 others from the fighting in the streets.
Graphic video showed a grey Dodge Challenger speeding up a side street into the gathered people and crashing into another car.
The Charlottesville Police Department said in a statement that an Ohio man, James Alex Fields Jnr, 20, had been charged with second-degree murder, three counts of malicious wounding and one count related to leaving the scene.
Earlier the two groups of protesters were involved in violent clashes as pepper spray – used, reportedly, by both sides – filled the air, according to local media reports. Bottles were thrown and a number of fist fights broke out.
Charlottesville mayor Michael Signer, who confirmed one person had been killed, said he was disappointed the white nationalists had descended on his town and blamed President Donald Trump for inflaming racial prejudices with his campaign last year.
“I’m not going to make any bones about it. I place the blame for a lot of what you’re seeing in America today right at the doorstep of the White House and the people around the President,” he said.
Mr Trump put out a tweet condemning “violence” and “hate” – although he did not specify that he was talking about the white supremacists, attracting criticism on Twitter.
Initially there was only a small police presence around the groups of protesters.
The clash is the latest in a series of confrontations after Charlottesville, about 160km from Washington DC, voted to remove the statue of General Lee.