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| White supremacists clash with anti-fascist campaigners ahead of far-right rally in Virginia | White supremacists clash with anti-fascist campaigners ahead of far-right rally in Virginia |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Violence has broken out ahead of a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, forcing city, county and state authorities to declare a state of emergency. | Violence has broken out ahead of a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, forcing city, county and state authorities to declare a state of emergency. |
| Police have now declared the gathering an unlawful assembly and have moved in to disperse the crowds. | Police have now declared the gathering an unlawful assembly and have moved in to disperse the crowds. |
| The state police have been deployed, with riot police and the National Guard waiting in the wings. Officials were forced to issue the emergency declaration almost an hour before the rally was scheduled to begin. | The state police have been deployed, with riot police and the National Guard waiting in the wings. Officials were forced to issue the emergency declaration almost an hour before the rally was scheduled to begin. |
| Right-wing protesters clashed with counter-demonstrators before the "Unite the Right" rally against plans to remove a statue honouring Confederate general Robert E Lee from a Charlottesville park. | Right-wing protesters clashed with counter-demonstrators before the "Unite the Right" rally against plans to remove a statue honouring Confederate general Robert E Lee from a Charlottesville park. |
| Pepper spray—used, reportedly, by both counter-protesters and those attending the rally—filled the air, according to local media reports. | Pepper spray—used, reportedly, by both counter-protesters and those attending the rally—filled the air, according to local media reports. |
| Bottles were thrown and a number of fist fights broke out. | Bottles were thrown and a number of fist fights broke out. |
| Charlottesville Mayor Michael Signer 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. | |
| He said: "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." | |
| 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. | Initially there was only a small police presence around the groups of protesters. |
| Earlier in the day apparent militia members were filmed marching through the streets armed with assault rifles and wearing tactical gear. | Earlier in the day apparent militia members were filmed marching through the streets armed with assault rifles and wearing tactical gear. |
| Other demonstrators were heard to chant the Nazi-linked phrase "blood and soil" as they passed through the streets. | Other demonstrators were heard to chant the Nazi-linked phrase "blood and soil" as they passed through the streets. |
| And on Friday night neo-Nazi protesters brandishing flaming torches descended on the University of Virginia, brawling with counter-protesters and throwing Nazi salutes. | And on Friday night neo-Nazi protesters brandishing flaming torches descended on the University of Virginia, brawling with counter-protesters and throwing Nazi salutes. |
| The state's governor, Terry McAuliffe said on Friday: "Many of the individuals coming to Charlottesville tomorrow are doing so in order to express viewpoints many people, including me, find abhorrent." | The state's governor, Terry McAuliffe said on Friday: "Many of the individuals coming to Charlottesville tomorrow are doing so in order to express viewpoints many people, including me, find abhorrent." |
| He urged people to stay away and "deny those ideas more attention than they deserve". | He urged people to stay away and "deny those ideas more attention than they deserve". |
| The clash is the latest in a series of confrontations in Charlottesville, situated about 100 miles from Washington DC, voted to remove the statue of General Lee. | The clash is the latest in a series of confrontations in Charlottesville, situated about 100 miles from Washington DC, voted to remove the statue of General Lee. |
| Celebrating the Confederate cause is a highly inflammatory issue in the US because the Confederate states supported slavery. | |
| In May, a torch-wielding group that included prominent white nationalist Richard Spencer gathered around the statue for a night-time protest, and in July, about 50 members of a North Carolina-based KKK group travelled there for a rally, where they were met by hundreds of counter-protesters. | In May, a torch-wielding group that included prominent white nationalist Richard Spencer gathered around the statue for a night-time protest, and in July, about 50 members of a North Carolina-based KKK group travelled there for a rally, where they were met by hundreds of counter-protesters. |
| Charlottesville is normally a quiet university city, and many of those protesting are believed to be from out of town. | Charlottesville is normally a quiet university city, and many of those protesting are believed to be from out of town. |
| “People are angry, they’re scared, they’re hurt, they’re confused,” said the Reverend Seth Wispelwey of the local United Church of Christ. | |
| “White supremacists rallying in our town is an act of violence.” | “White supremacists rallying in our town is an act of violence.” |
| Both local hospitals said they were prepared for an influx of patients and had extra staff on call to help. | Both local hospitals said they were prepared for an influx of patients and had extra staff on call to help. |