Washington: The US President Donald Trump’s condemnation of the hatred this weekend in Virginia, also included the white supremacists who organised the “Unite the Right” rally, the White House said on Sunday.
“The president said very strongly in his statement (on Saturday) that he condemns all forms of violence, bigotry and hatred,” Efe quoted a statement issued by the White House.
“Of course that includes white supremacists, KKK Neo-Nazi and all extremist groups,” the White House added.
Trump has come under fire from Democrats and even members of his own Republican party for blaming “many sides” for Saturday’s violence in Charlottesville and not explicitly pointing the finger at white supremacist groups.
Those organisations had organised a rally on Saturday in that university city of 50,000 inhabitants to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that had been considered a symbol of slavery and racism.
The planned midday Saturday rally was cancelled but clashes broke out with counter-protesters, one of whom — a 32-year-old woman — was killed when a car plowed into a crowd of people.
Two Virginia state troopers who were monitoring the situation in the city also died when their helicopter crashed.
–IANS