Trump Condemns Violence in Virginia

Following the declaration of a state of emergency in Charlottesville due to clashes between right-wing protesters and their opponents, U.S. President Donald Trump firmly condemned the violence and called for unity among the American people. According to an Associated Press report, Mr. Trump on Saturday, August 12, referred to the incident as an 'excessive display of hatred, hostility, and violence' and called for the swift restoration of law and order to protect innocent lives. The President stated that he had spoken with the governor of Virginia and both agreed that provocation and hate-mongering must stop immediately. He had previously tweeted that 'we all must be united and condemn hate.' After the outbreak of violence ahead of the 'white nationalist' rally in Charlottesville, the state's governor declared a state of emergency in an effort to control the violence. According to the Associated Press, on Saturday, hundreds of protesters and their opponents clashed ahead of the gathering known as the 'Unite the Right' rally, throwing water bottles and using chemical sprays against each other, while riot police attempted to disperse them. During the clashes, a vehicle drove into a group of counter-protesters, and according to news sources, at least one person was killed in the incident. The perpetrator of the attack is currently in police custody. Reuters also reported, citing medical sources, that 19 people were injured in Saturday's violence. CNN previously reported that several protesters were arrested at the 'Unite the Right' rally site. The exact number of arrests is unclear, but they occurred after police declared the gathering illegal. Approximately six thousand people were expected to attend Saturday's rally, and as noted by the Associated Press, some attendees were dressed in military uniforms and armed. Saturday's gathering was the latest round of protests against local officials' decision to remove the statue of General Robert E. Lee from one of Charlottesville's central parks. On Friday night, hundreds of white nationalists marched with torches toward the University of Virginia, where clashes were reported. Following this incident, a university spokesperson stated that several individuals were injured in the clashes and police arrested one person. General Lee, whose statue's removal has sparked right-wing protests, was a key commander of the Confederate States during the American Civil War, remaining loyal to Jefferson Davis, the President of the 11 Confederate states, until the end of the war. The American Civil War took place from 1861 to 1865 during Abraham Lincoln's presidency and ended with the victory of the Northern states led by Lincoln.