One year on, both sides of Charlottesville clashes will face off outside White House

WHITE nationalists and anti-racism protesters will face off just yards from the White House today as they mark the first anniversary of violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Both groups have been given permission to demonstrate in separate sections of Lafayette Square, a shady park that looks on to the back of the US president’s residence.

Attendees of “Unite the Right 2”, a follow-up to the far-Right protest last year, have been told to bring Confederate flags, wear body cameras and expect to be provoked.

A collective of counter-protest groups will stage a rally before congregating at the park and have vowed to drown out the white nationalists’ message.

Secret service officials will join officers from Washington DC’s police force and the National Park Service to ensure there is no repeat of the violent clashes.

On that day, Heather Heyer, 32, died and dozens of others were injured when a car crashed into protesters who were opposing the original Unite the Right rally. The rally had been organised to oppose the removal of a statue of Robert E Lee, a Confederate general. James Alex Field Jnr, a 20-year-old man living in Ohio with far-Right links, was later charged with Ms Heyer’s seconddegree murder.

The incident led to one of the most controversial moments of Mr Trump’s presidency as he blamed “both sides” for the violence. The comment triggered condemnation from politicians and campaigners, including senior Republicans, over his failure to call out racism.

Yesterday Mr Trump issued a preemptive call for peace, tweeting: “The riots in Charlottesville a year ago resulted in senseless death and division. We must come together as a nation. I condemn all types of racism and acts of violence. Peace to ALL Americans!”

Between three and four thousand people in total are expected to attend today’s demonstrations.

Makia Green, a 26-year-old organiser for Black Lives Matter DC, told The Sunday Telegraph: “I want people to know the power of black communities across the world is going to be stronger and vaster than the white supremacist hate that we’ve been experiencing.”

‘The riots a year ago resulted in senseless death and division. We must come together as a nation’