Three Killed in Virginia Violence and Related Events

The Charlottesville government announced that the violence during the "white nationalist" rally and its opponents in this American city resulted in the deaths of three people and left 35 injured. During the marches and violence, a car struck demonstrators near one of Charlottesville's squares; one of the deceased and most of the injured were due to this incident. The police say the driver, named James Alex Fields, is currently in custody. He was arrested shortly after the incident and is now facing a charge of "second-degree murder" - intentional killing that was not premeditated or planned. Video footage of the event shows a car speeding towards a crowd of people, after colliding with them, ultimately crashing into another vehicle and speeding backward. A 32-year-old woman lost her life following this incident. Officials have not yet clarified why the driver was present at the scene and why he drove at high speed towards the anti-racist demonstrators. Officials also stated that two state police officers were killed after a helicopter that was patrolling the area in connection with the violence crashed. Charlottesville officials had allowed right-wingers and "white nationalists" to protest against the removal of a statue of a Civil War commander, but the official permit was revoked after street violence on the morning of August 12. Following that and the escalation of clashes, a state of emergency was declared. Donald Trump, the President of the United States, called the incident "an excessive display of hatred, hostility, and violence" and called for a swift restoration of law and order to protect innocent lives. Meanwhile, a large group of activists, Democratic Party representatives, and several Republican lawmakers criticized the President for not naming some of the white supremacist groups present, such as neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan. Among the critics of Mr. Trump is Marco Rubio, a rival in the Republican primary for the presidential election, who stated, "It is very important for the nation to hear from [the President of the United States] the account of the events in Charlottesville as they actually occurred; a terrorist attack by white supremacists." Former President Bill Clinton also stated that while freedom of speech must be defended, violence, hatred, and white supremacy must be rejected. On the other hand, Terry McAuliffe, the Governor of Virginia, said yesterday, "I have a message for all the white supremacists and Nazis who have come to Charlottesville. Simple and clear: Go home."