Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Grandfather: Woman killed at rally ‘always wanted fairness’
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. » About 1,000 mourners gathered inside a theater in downtown Charlottesville to remember a woman killed during a violent weekend rally were able to mourn her death Wednesday quietly without the presence of neo-Nazis who had threatened to attend the service for Heather Heyer.
Heyer’s grandfather said his 32-year-old granddaughter always wanted fairness, even from a young age.
Elwood Shrader said at a memorial service for Heather Heyer that she showed her passion for equality at an early age and swiftly called out something that wasn’t right. He told about 1,000 mourners gathered inside a theater in Charlottesville that she wanted respect for everyone and believed all lives matter.
Mark Heyer, her father, began speaking to the audience by saying no father should have to bury his child. He said his daughter wanted to “put down hate.”
The service Heyer was held at the theater in downtown Charlottesville, the sight of the deadly rally on Saturday. Attendees wore purple, Heyer’s favorite color, in her memory.
Mark Heyer said, “Heather’s passion extended to her ideas and her thoughts. She could tell if someone wasn’t being straight with her and she’d call them on it.”
So far, there were no sign of protesters outside the theater. White supremacists had threatened to attend, but none appeared to be at the site.
President Donald Trump tweeted for the first time about Heyer, calling her “beautiful and incredible” and a “truly special young woman.” He said “she will be long remembered by all!”
Trump told reporters Tuesday that he planned to reach out to Heyer’s family. The White House did not respond to questions Wednesday about whether Trump has contacted Heyer’s family.
Heyer was a Charlottesville resident and legal assistant whose mother described her daughter as a courageous, principled woman and firm believer in justice and equality.
Heyer was among the hundreds of protesters who had gathered Saturday in Charlottesville to decry what was believed to be the largest gathering of white supremacists in a decade — including neo-Nazis, skinheads and Ku Klux Klan members. They descended on the city for a rally prompted by the city’s decision to remove a Confederate monument.
Chaos and violence erupted before the event even began, with counterdemonstrators and rallygoers clashing in the streets.
Authorities forced the crowd to disperse, and groups then began roaming through town. Counterprotesters had converged for a march along a downtown street when suddenly a Dodge Challenger barreled into them, hurling people into the air. Video shows the car reversing and hitting more people.