CHARLOTTESVILLE (INTELLIHUB) Hundreds of fully-armed mostly out-of-state white nationalists and counter protesters clashed at a local park Saturday morning in what is being called the largest gathering in years.
The melee unfolded after a several different fringe groups began to gather at a “Unite the Right” rally which was scheduled to commence around noon time.
The violence which included a car being used as a weapon by plowing into a crowd of people was so bad that it prompted Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe to declare a “state of emergency” around 11 a.m. and is now being used by the media as a political tool.
Arrests are being made following declaration of unlawful assembly at Emancipation Park in Charlottesville. #cvilleaug12 pic.twitter.com/6XAn1hYLAS
— VA State Police (@VSPPIO) August 12, 2017
As a result, the Virginia Army National Guard was mobilized to the area along with a heavy presence of law enforcement personnel to disperse the “unlawful assembly.”
CPD & VSP respond to 3-vehicle crash at Water & 4th streets. Several pedestrians struck. Multiple injuries. 1/2 #cvilleaug12 pic.twitter.com/CJNTLIAuEp
— Charlottesville City (@CvilleCityHall) August 12, 2017
“I am disgusted by the hatred, bigotry, and violence these protesters have brought to our state over the past 24 hours,” Gov. McAuliffe said.
#Charlottesville has declared an emergency. #cvilleaug12 Not a bad idea when people like this are headed to protest. pic.twitter.com/3tVaepBfyl
— julia(e) (@snoflake2avalan) August 12, 2017
It has also been reported that the locals fear the violence may become “normalized.”
President Trump commented on the situation in a press conference Saturday afternoon, calling it “terrible.”