California to investigate rise of white supremacy

California lawmakers will hold public hearings in September to probe the rise of white supremacy in the wake of the Charlottesville unrest, the state Senate leader said.

In a statement on Monday, Kevin de Leon asked the chairs of the Joint Legislative Committee on Emergency Management and the Senate Public Safety Committee to convene the public hearings, Xinhua news agency reported.

The hearings will be aimed at reviewing the safeguards and procedures in place in order to avoid violent conflict in future due to any white supremacist demonstrations or events.

“We don’t want it to repeat itself again,” he said of the violence in Charlottesville on August 12, that left one woman dead and 19 others injured.

“The cowardly attack that claimed Heather Heyer’s life was an attack on America - on all of us - our values, and the promise we strive to achieve,” De Leon said.

On August 12, a rally staged by white nationalists in Charlottesville turned violent. After hours of brawls between the pro-rally far-right figures and anti-racism protesters, a car ploughed into crowds, killing the 32-yearold Heyer.

White supremacists claimed they would organise rallies in San Francisco on Saturday and Sunday.

California officials have requested the National Park Service to rescind a previously issued permit for the event.