A Nazi Rally In Virginia Ends In Tragedy; Trump Blames Both Sides
A group of White Supremacists that included members of the Ku Klux Clan and Neo-Nazi skin heads gathered waving Nazi flags along with the confederate flag in protest of a removal of a Confederate Monument of Civil War General, Robert E Lee were met with a group of “anti-racism” counter protestors.
The two groups clashed resulting in many injuries and the several fatalities, including the death of Heather D Heyer who was killed when twenty-year-old white nationalist, James Alex Fields Jr rammed his car into the opposition. In the wake of the tragedy, US President Donald Trump expressed halfhearted concerns about the clash before concluding that both sides are to blame. Fortunately, others have taken further action.
Observers from both sides say that the rally quickly became violent, though each side claims that the other attacked first. However, White Supremacists are as quick to insult the opposition as they are to attempt to relay a story. At least one video of the event, shows White Supremacists initiating an attack on counter protesters and a man reports being chased by a group of White Supremacists and beaten with baseball bats before being rescued by a friend with no police help in sight. Virginia Governor McAuliffe declared a State of Emergency and called in the National Guard to end the fighting.
After an insincere sounding speech that condemned the events, Trump later changed his story and blamed both sides for the tragedy. Former US President George W Bush as well as US President Mike Pence expressed support for Trump’s point of view. Meanwhile, Attorney General Jess Sessions, denounced the events in Charlottesville as evil domestic terrorism.
Meanwhile, a call has been made to oust the White Supremacists on social media to help prompt punitive action and at least one of the rally goers, Cole White, has recently been fired. Meanwhile, the site GoDaddy has shut down any suspected Neo-Nazi and White Supremacist accounts, and PayPal has recently reported that it will not be hosting these groups.
The incident has also prompted more cities to push for the removal of Confederate statues while government officials are bracing for more possible violence.