![A white nationalist demonstrator, bloodied after a clash with a...]()
Steve Helber / AP
A white nationalist demonstrator, bloodied after a clash with a counter demonstrator, talks on the radio receiver at the entrance to Lee Park in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency and police dressed in riot gear ordered people to disperse after chaotic violent clashes between white nationalists and counter protestors. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
![White nationalist demonstrators clash with counter demonstrators at the entrance...]()
Steve Helber / AP
White nationalist demonstrators clash with counter demonstrators at the entrance to Lee Park in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency and police dressed in riot gear ordered people to disperse after chaotic violent clashes between white nationalists and counter protestors. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" clash with counter-protesters as they enter Lee Park during the "Unite the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-fascist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalist Richard Spencer (C)...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalist Richard Spencer (C) and his supporters clash with Virginia State Police in Lee Park after the "United the Right" rally was declared an unlawful gathering August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. Hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" clashed with anti-facist protesters and police as they attempted to hold a rally in Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" clash with counter-protesters as they enter Lee Park during the "Unite the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-fascist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![(FILES) This file photo taken on July 08, 2017 shows...]()
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP/Getty Images
(FILES) This file photo taken on July 08, 2017 shows a member of the Ku Klux Klan during a rally, calling for the protection of Southern Confederate monuments, in Charlottesville, Virginia. A sizeable contingent of members of the extreme right and white nationalists are expected to descend on a small US university town on August 12, 2017 -- and a fierce opposition front is uniting against it.Thousands of white nationalists, including supporters of the Ku Klux Klan white supremacist group, and anti-fascist activists are expected to clash in Charlottesville, Virginia, a sleepy town planning to remove a statue of General Robert E. Lee, who led Confederate forces in the US Civil War. / AFP PHOTO / ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDSANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP/Getty Images ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" clash with counter-protesters as they enter Lee Park during the "Unite the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-fascist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Counter-protesters hold a line against...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Counter-protesters hold a line against white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" near the entrance to Lee Park during the "Unite the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-fascist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![White nationalist groups rally at Emancipation Park. MUST CREDIT: Photo...]()
Evelyn Hockstein / For The Washington Post
White nationalist groups rally at Emancipation Park. MUST CREDIT: Photo by Evelyn Hockstein for The Washington Post. ** Usable by BS, CT, DP, FL, HC, MC, OS, SD, CGT and CCT **
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" march down East Market Street toward Lee Park during the "United the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-facist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Virginia State Police in riot...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Virginia State Police in riot gear stand in front of the statue of General Robert E. Lee before forcing white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" out of Lee Park after the "Unite the Right" rally was declared an unlawful gathering August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-fascist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![White nationalist demonstrators walk into Lee park surrounded by counter...]()
Steve Helber / AP
White nationalist demonstrators walk into Lee park surrounded by counter demonstrators in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency and police dressed in riot gear ordered people to disperse after chaotic violent clashes between white nationalists and counter protestors. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: The statue of Confederate General...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: The statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee stands behind a crowd of hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" during the "Unite the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-fascist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" exchange insluts with counter-protesters as they attempt to guard the entrance to Lee Park during the "Unite the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-fascist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" exchange insults with counter-protesters as they enter Lee Park during the "Unite the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-facist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![A vehicle drives into a group of protesters demonstrating against...]()
Ryan M. Kelly / AP
A vehicle drives into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. The nationalists were holding the rally to protest plans by the city of Charlottesville to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. There were several hundred protesters marching in a long line when the car drove into a group of them. /The Daily Progress via AP)
![A vehicle reverses after driving into a group of protesters...]()
Ryan M. Kelly / AP
A vehicle reverses after driving into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. The nationalists were holding the rally to protest plans by the city of Charlottesville to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. There were several hundred protesters marching in a long line when the car drove into a group of them. (Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress via AP)
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Anti-fascist counter-protesters wait outside Lee...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Anti-fascist counter-protesters wait outside Lee Park to hurl insluts as white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" are forced out after the "Unite the Right" rally was declared an unlawful gathering August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-fascist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" clash with counter-protesters as they enter Lee Park during the "Unite the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-facist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" are confronted by protesters as they march down East Market Street toward Lee Park during the "United the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-facist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" march down East Market Street toward Lee Park during the "United the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-facist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Counter-protesters line the route taken...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Counter-protesters line the route taken by white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" during the "Unite the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-fascist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![In this twitter hand-out photo courtesy the Virginia State Police...]()
VIRGINIA STATE POLICE / AFP/Getty Images
In this twitter hand-out photo courtesy the Virginia State Police Arrests are being made following declaration of unlawful assembly at Emancipation Park in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 12, 2017. A picturesque Virginia city braced Saturday for a flood of white nationalist demonstrators as well as counter-protesters, declaring a local emergency as law enforcement attempted to quell early violent clashes. / AFP PHOTO / Virginia State Police / Virginia State Police / == RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE / MANDATORY CREDIT: "AFP PHOTO / VIRGINIA STATE POLICE / HAND-OUT / NO MARKETING / NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS / DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS ==VIRGINIA STATE POLICE/AFP/Getty Images ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![Skip Morgenson, right, says a prayer while embracing other congregation...]()
Aileen Devlin/Daily Press
Skip Morgenson, right, says a prayer while embracing other congregation members during a prayer vigil for the Charlottesville victims at Cornerstone Assembly of God in Hampton on Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017.
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" exchange insults with counter-protesters as they enter Lee Park during the "Unite the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-facist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![White nationalists rally at Emancipation Park in Charlottesville. MUST CREDIT:...]()
Evelyn Hockstein / For The Washington Post
White nationalists rally at Emancipation Park in Charlottesville. MUST CREDIT: Photo by Evelyn Hockstein for The Washington Post. ** Usable by BS, CT, DP, FL, HC, MC, OS, SD, CGT and CCT **
![White nationalist demonstrators hold their ground against Virginia State Police...]()
Steve Helber / AP
White nationalist demonstrators hold their ground against Virginia State Police as police fire tear gas rounds in Lee Park in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency and police dressed in riot gear ordered people to disperse after chaotic violent clashes between white nationalists and counter protestors. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Counter-protesters line the route taken...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Counter-protesters line the route taken by white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" during the "Unite the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-fascist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" march down East Market Street toward Lee Park during the "United the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-facist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![A vehicle reverses after driving into a group of protesters...]()
Ryan M. Kelly / AP
A vehicle reverses after driving into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. The nationalists were holding the rally to protest plans by the city of Charlottesville to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. There were several hundred protesters marching in a long line when the car drove into a group of them. (Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress via AP)
![White nationalist demonstrators walk into the entrance of Lee Park...]()
Steve Helber / AP
White nationalist demonstrators walk into the entrance of Lee Park surrounded by counter demonstrators in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency and police dressed in riot gear ordered people to disperse after chaotic violent clashes between white nationalists and counter protestors. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: A white supremacist is cut...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: A white supremacist is cut below his eye during clashes with counter-protesters at Lee Park after the "Unite the Right" rally was declared an unlawful gathering August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-fascist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![A counter demonstrator gets a splash of water after being...]()
Steve Helber / AP
A counter demonstrator gets a splash of water after being hit by pepper spray at the entrance to Lee Park in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency and police dressed in riot gear ordered people to disperse after chaotic violent clashes between white nationalists and counter protestors. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: A man makes a slashing...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: A man makes a slashing motion across his throat twoard counter-protesters as he marches with other white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" during the "Unite the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-fascist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![Counterprotesters link arms and sing outside Emancipation Park during the...]()
Evelyn Hockstein / For The Washington Post
Counterprotesters link arms and sing outside Emancipation Park during the Unite the Right rally. MUST CREDIT: Photo by Evelyn Hockstein for The Washington Post. ** Usable by BS, CT, DP, FL, HC, MC, OS, SD, CGT and CCT **
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" are forced out of Lee Park after the "Unite the Right" rally was declared an unlawful gathering August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-facist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![White nationalist demonstrators clash with counter demonstrators at the entrance...]()
Steve Helber / AP
White nationalist demonstrators clash with counter demonstrators at the entrance to Lee Park in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency and police dressed in riot gear ordered people to disperse after chaotic violent clashes between white nationalists and counter protestors. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
![White nationalist demonstrators class with counter demonstrators at the entrance...]()
Steve Helber / AP
White nationalist demonstrators class with counter demonstrators at the entrance to Lee Park in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency and police dressed in riot gear ordered people to disperse after chaotic violent clashes between white nationalists and counter protestors. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" exchange insults with counter-protesters as they enter Lee Park during the "Unite the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-facist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![State Police in riot gear guard Lee Park after a...]()
Steve Helber / AP
State Police in riot gear guard Lee Park after a white nationalist demonstration was declared illegal and the park was cleared in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. Hundreds of people chanted, threw punches, hurled water bottles and unleashed chemical sprays on each other Saturday after violence erupted at the white nationalist rally. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" exchange vollys of pepper spray with counter-protesters as they enter Lee Park during the "Unite the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-facist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Rescue workers move victims on...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Rescue workers move victims on stretchers after car plowed through a crowd of counter-demonstrators marching through the downtown shopping district August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. The car plowed through the crowed following the shutdown of the "Unite the Right" rally by police after white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" and counter-protesters clashed near Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" exchange insluts with counter-protesters as they attempt to guard the entrance to Lee Park during the "Unite the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-fascist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![Rescue personnel help injured people after a car ran into...]()
Steve Helber / AP
Rescue personnel help injured people after a car ran into a large group of protesters after a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. The nationalists were holding the rally to protest plans by the city of Charlottesville to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. There were several hundred protesters marching in a long line when the car drove into a group of them. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
![White nationalist demonstrators guard the entrance to Lee Park in...]()
Steve Helber / AP
White nationalist demonstrators guard the entrance to Lee Park in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency and police dressed in riot gear ordered people to disperse after chaotic violent clashes between white nationalists and counter protestors. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
![Alt Right demonstrators walk through town after their rally was...]()
Steve Helber / AP
Alt Right demonstrators walk through town after their rally was declared illegal near Lee Park in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
![A Black Lives Matter New York demonstrator holds a sign...]()
Steve Helber / AP
A Black Lives Matter New York demonstrator holds a sign to counter white nationalist demonstrators at the entrance to Lee Park in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency and police dressed in riot gear ordered people to disperse after chaotic violent clashes between white nationalists and counter protestors. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" exchange insluts with counter-protesters as they attempt to guard the entrance to Lee Park during the "Unite the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-fascist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![An white nationalist demonstrator is pushed out of the park...]()
Steve Helber / AP
An white nationalist demonstrator is pushed out of the park by police at the entrance to Lee Park in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency and police dressed in riot gear ordered people to disperse after chaotic violent clashes between white nationalists and counter protestors. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" are forced out of Lee Park after the "Unite the Right" rally was declared an unlawful gathering August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-facist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Purple paint covers the chest...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Purple paint covers the chest of one of hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" during the "Unite the Right" rally in Lee Park August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-fascist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" clash with police as they are forced out of Lee Park after the "Unite the Right" rally was declared an unlawful gathering August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-facist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![A white nationalist demonstrator helps a demonstrator after a clash...]()
Steve Helber / AP
A white nationalist demonstrator helps a demonstrator after a clash with counter demonstrators at the entrance to Lee Park in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency and police dressed in riot gear ordered people to disperse after chaotic violent clashes between white nationalists and counter protestors. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" exchange insults with counter-protesters as they enter Lee Park during the "Unite the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-facist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: A man wears a 'Make...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: A man wears a 'Make America Great Again' hat during the "Unite the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-fascist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![Ben, a 21-year-old KKK member from Harrison, Arkansas, attends the...]()
Evelyn Hockstein / For The Washington Post
Ben, a 21-year-old KKK member from Harrison, Arkansas, attends the rally at Emancipation Park. MUST CREDIT: Photo by Evelyn Hockstein for The Washington Post. ** Usable by BS, CT, DP, FL, HC, MC, OS, SD, CGT and CCT **
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Battle lines form between white...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Battle lines form between white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" and anti-fascist counter-protesters at the entrance to Lee Park during the "Unite the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-fascist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![(FILES) This file photo taken on July 08, 2017 shows...]()
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP/Getty Images
(FILES) This file photo taken on July 08, 2017 shows members of the Ku Klux Klan and others arriving for a rally, calling for the protection of Southern Confederate monuments, in Charlottesville, Virginia on July 8, 2017. A sizeable contingent of members of the extreme right and white nationalists are expected to descend on a small US university town on August 12, 2017 -- and a fierce opposition front is uniting against it.Thousands of white nationalists, including supporters of the Ku Klux Klan white supremacist group, and anti-fascist activists are expected to clash in Charlottesville, Virginia, a sleepy town planning to remove a statue of General Robert E. Lee, who led Confederate forces in the US Civil War. / AFP PHOTO / ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDSANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP/Getty Images ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![A counter demonstrator is splashed with water after he was...]()
Steve Helber / AP
A counter demonstrator is splashed with water after he was hit by pepper spray from an white nationalist demonstrator after he threw a water bottle at the entrance to Lee Park in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency and police dressed in riot gear ordered people to disperse after chaotic violent clashes between white nationalists and counter protestors. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
![People fly into the air as a vehicle drives into...]()
Ryan M. Kelly / AP
People fly into the air as a vehicle drives into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. The nationalists were holding the rally to protest plans by the city of Charlottesville to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. There were several hundred protesters marching in a long line when the car drove into a group of them. (Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress via AP)
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" clash with police as they are forced out of Lee Park after the "Unite the Right" rally was declared an unlawful gathering August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-facist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: A protester hurls insults at...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: A protester hurls insults at Virginia State Police officer as rescue workers and medics tend to many people who were injured when a car plowed through a crowd in the downtown shopping district August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. The car plowed through the crowed following the shutdown of the "Unite the Right" rally by police after white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" and counter-protesters clashed near Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![A counter demonstrator uses a lighted spray can against a...]()
Steve Helber / AP
A counter demonstrator uses a lighted spray can against a white nationalist demonstrator at the entrance to Lee Park in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency and police dressed in riot gear ordered people to disperse after chaotic violent clashes between white nationalists and counter protestors. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" exchange insluts with counter-protesters as they attempt to guard the entrance to Lee Park during the "Unite the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-fascist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Virginia State Police in riot...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Virginia State Police in riot gear stand in front of the statue of General Robert E. Lee before forcing white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" out of Lee Park after the "Unite the Right" rally was declared an unlawful gathering August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-fascist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" exchange insluts with counter-protesters as they attempt to guard the entrance to Lee Park during the "Unite the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-fascist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" march down East Market Street toward Lee Park during the "United the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-facist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Counter-protesters line the route taken...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Counter-protesters line the route taken by white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" during the "Unite the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-fascist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" are forced out of Lee Park after the Unite the Right rally was declared an unlawful gathering August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-facist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![White nationalist demonstrators clash with a counter demonstrator as he...]()
Steve Helber / AP
White nationalist demonstrators clash with a counter demonstrator as he throws a newspaper box at the entrance to Lee Park in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency and police dressed in riot gear ordered people to disperse after chaotic violent clashes between white nationalists and counter protestors. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: Hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" march down East Market Street toward Lee Park during the "United the Right" rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-facist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
![CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: A small group of white...]()
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - AUGUST 12: A small group of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" face off with Virginia State Police in front of the statue of General Robert E. Lee after the "Unite the Right" rally was declared an unlawful gathering August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-fascist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Lee Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **
In the wake of a white nationalist rally that roiled Charlottesville Saturday, several hundred people on the Peninsula gathered Sunday in different settings to reflect on the violence and lives lost and address how to face hate and bigotry.
A pair of vigils in Hampton and Williamsburg were just two of many places around the Peninsula where people gathered to confront the racism and hate they saw either in person or in the news.
Saturday’s chaos erupted around a group of white nationalists — neo-Nazis, skinheads and members of the Ku Klux Klan — who came to Charlottesville to “take America back,” decrying plans to remove a Confederate statue of Robert E. Lee. Hundreds arrived to protest the rally.
A day of violence in the city resulted in arrests and a declared state of emergency. Several were hurt, three people were dead and the city was left a grim manifestation of the country’s divisions.
Peninsula faith leaders organized a prayer vigil at Cornerstone Assembly of God in Hampton, where they emphasized unity and condemned “the spirit of violence and racism” to the couple hundred people from area churches who gathered to sing songs and pray for unity in the country.
“Prayer is where it starts, but the church has to step up and demonstrate unity,” said Freddy Villarreal, pastor at Freedom Life Church in Hampton, at the vigil. He said that while there is evil in the world, there is a lot of good. He pointed out that the people in the crowd were from different churches, but they all came together, holding hands, hugging and praying for the same things.
The audience at Merchants Square in Williamsburg crowded around local faith and civic leaders, some who had attended the rally in Charlottesville. “The evil energy was terrifying,” said Andy Ballentine, the pastor at St. Stephen Lutheran Church.
The threat of white supremacy can’t be ignored, and education and communication is key to solving the problem, said Rabbi David Katz, of Temple Beth El of Williamsburg.
“We can and will do better,” state Del. Mike Mullin said.
People who turned out to the event felt there wasn’t enough outrage at the white supremacist rally and wanted to publicly take a stand against bigotry. “That can happen in any town,” James City resident Liz Friel said of the white supremacist rally, while toting a sign.
Participants at Hampton’s vigil also prayed for Heather Heyer, who was killed when a car plowed into a crowd in Charlottesville, and Virginia State Police Troopers H. Jay Cullen and Berke Bates, who died in a helicopter crash while monitoring events on the ground.
Heyer, a 32-year-old paralegal from Charlottesville, was protesting the rally Saturday, crossing the street when a silver Dodge Challenger plowed into a crowd and smashed into another car.
Hours later, the state police helicopter carrying Cullen, 48, of Midlothian, and Bates, 41, crashed into a wooded area outside the city. Bates lived in Quinton, a locality in New Kent County.
New Kent Supervisor C. Thomas Tiller said police officers contend with sometimes dangerous conditions in their service to the community day in and day out, which isn’t always fully appreciated by citizens. Tiller didn’t know Bates personally, but he represents the Quinton area of New Kent.
Bates’ death is an example of the perils of police work, which people don’t always understand, Tiller said. “We want them to come home, but they don’t always.”
Bates was a week away from starting his classes to be a helicopter pilot, according to The Washington Post. Bates and Cullen had just returned from dropping off Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Bates’ father, Robert Bates said, when they were asked to surveil the violence on the ground. Robert Bates said his son always wanted to fly.
Kevin Swann, pastor of Ivy Baptist Church in Newport News, said there were many facets of Saturday’s events that had to be condemned: white supremacists, Nazi groups and the driver who rammed into protesters. “Our job is to condemn all actions of hate, bigotry, injustice,” he said.
Swann helped organize the prayer vigil in Hampton as a member of the Virginia Unity Project, a forum of Peninsula clergy who work with their communities and the police to help foster better relationships.
He said he also told his congregation Sunday morning the importance of loving all people, including those who don’t love them back. “Don’t respond to them the way they respond to you,” he said.
Reyes can be reached by phone at 757-247-4692; Jacobs can be reached at 757-298-6007.
