WASHINGTON, D.C. — Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe condemned the white supremacists whose rally in Charlottesville, Va. led to clashes and at least one death, telling the Nazi marchers that “there is no place for you here. There is no place for you in America.”

“Shame on you. You pretend that you are patriots, but you are anything but a patriot,” he said.

McAuliffe appeared at a press conference in Charlottesville in the aftermath of the bloody confrontations on the street. Earlier in the day, he declared a state of emergency to assist authorities in the city in controlling the situation.

Police said that a 32-year-old woman was killed as she was crossing the street and a car was driven into a crowd of counter-demonstrators. The driver of the vehicle has been apprehended and the case is being treated as a criminal homicide, with 19 more injured in the incident. Police have not released the name of the victim or the suspect.

State police also are investigating a helicopter crash that occurred in a wooded area near Charlottesville that occurred just before 5 p.m. ET on Saturday. A spokeswoman confirmed that two people were killed in the crash, but did not verify if the helicopter belonged to the Virginia State Police.

Throughout the day, cable news networks played shocking and even chilling images of neo-Nazis and white nationalists marching in the streets of Charlottesville as they were protesting plans to remove a statute of Confederate general Robert E. Lee. They quickly clashed with counter-protesters before police declared an unlawful assembly and ordered them to disburse.

McAuliffe said that he spoke with President Donald Trump on Saturday and told him that “there has got to be a movement in this country to bring people together. The hatred and the rhetoric that has gone on and it’s intensified over the last couple of months is dividing this great nation.”

Trump, too, responded with tweets and a statement calling for unity, and condemning “in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, on many sides.”

But he faced criticism for not specifically calling out the white supremacists or citing the car crash.

Some members of Trump’s own party called on the President to specifically cite the Charlottesville tragedy as a terror attack. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said that it was “very important” for the country to hear the president “describe events in Charlottesville for what they are, a terror attack by white supremacists.”

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) echoed that “we should call evil by its name. My brother didn’t give his life fighting Hitler for Nazi ideas to go unchallenged here at home.”</s>Three killed, 35 injured at violent US white nationalist rally

A man hits the pavement during a clash between members of white nationalist protesters against a group of counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia August 12, 2017. — Reuters pic CHARLOTTESVILLE, Aug 13 — At least three people were killed yesterday and 35 injured after protests turned violent in Charlottesville, Virginia, as white nationalists protesting plans to remove the statue of a Confederate general clashed with counter-demonstrators and a car plowed into a crowd, officials said.

A 32-year-old female was among those killed, said Charlottesville Police Chief Al Thomas, and injuries ranged from life-threatening to minor. The male driver of the vehicle that plowed into a crowd is in custody, Thomas said, and police were treating the incident as a criminal homicide investigation.

At least 35 people were injured in hours of violence between white supremacists and counter protesters in the town of Charlottesville. The state's governor declared an emergency and halted the white nationalist rally, while President Donald Trump condemned the violence.

"I am heartbroken that a life has been lost here," Charlottesville Mayor Mike Singer said on his Twitter feed.

Video on social media and Reuters photographs showed a car slamming into a large group of what appeared to be counter-protesters, sending some flying into the air.

The car incident was being treated as a homicide, local TV broadcaster WVIR reported, citing a city attorney.

“We’re closely following the terrible events unfolding in Charlottesville, Virginia," Trump told reporters at his New Jersey golf course.

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides."

A reporter shouted a question to Trump about whether he had spoken out strongly enough against white nationalists but the president made no comment.

The clashes highlight how the white supremacist movement has resurfaced under the "alt-right" banner after years in the shadows of mainstream American politics.

Prominent Democrats, civil rights activists and even a few Republicans said it was inexcusable of the president not to denounce white supremacy.

Republican US Senator Cory Gardner wrote on Twitter: "Mr. President — we must call evil by its name," adding "These were white supremacists and this was domestic terrorism."

"What we’ve seen today in Charlottesville needs to be condemned and called what it is: Hatred, evil, racism & homegrown extremism," former US Secretary of State John Kerry said in a tweet. Kerry served under Democratic President Barack Obama.

The Charlottesville confrontation was a stark reminder of the growing political polarisation that has intensified since Trump's election last year.

"You will not erase us," chanted a crowd of white nationalists, while counter-protesters carried placards that read: "Nazi go home" and "Smash white supremacy."

A silver sedan driving at high speed plowed into the crowd before reversing along the same street. The incident took place about two blocks from the park that houses the statue of Robert E. Lee, who headed the Confederate army in the American Civil War.

Witnesses said it looked like the driver intended to mow down people. Police have not offered any details on the car incident.

“From what I saw, it looked extremely deliberate,” Will Mafei, 23, of Charlottesville said. He also witnessed the car hitting pedestrians as it went in reverse.

The University of Virginia Health Systems received 20 patients from the scene near the car strike. One of those people died and 19 were being treated, a spokeswoman said without offering details on the injuries.

The City of Charlottesville said 15 people were injured at the nearby site of the rally.

Earlier, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency in the city, home of the University of Virginia's flagship campus. The gathering was declared an "unlawful assembly," allowing police to disperse the protesters, and police cleared the park where the rally was to be held.

"I am praying that God help us all," Vice Mayor Wes Bellamy said in an interview with CNN. "We are better than this."

The violence broke out on Friday night, when hundreds of white marchers with blazing torches appeared at the campus of the University of Virginia in a display that critics said was reminiscent of a Ku Klux Klan rally

On Saturday morning, fighting broke out in the city's downtown when hundreds of people, some wearing white nationalist symbols and carrying Confederate battle flags, were confronted by a nearly equal number of counter-protesters.

David Duke, a former leader of the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan, was in Charlottesville for the rally, according to his Twitter account.

The rally was part of a persistent debate in the US South over the display of the Confederate battle flag and other symbols of the rebel side in the Civil War, which was fought over the issue of slavery. — Reuters</s>(CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.) — Police say a helicopter has crashed near Charlottesville, Virginia, where violent clashes erupted at the site of a white nationalist rally. However, it was unclear if the crash may have been linked to the rally.

Virginia State Police said Saturday that the helicopter crashed in a wooded area near a home. No one on the ground was injured. Police said they are investigating the cause of the crash.</s>Police say a helicopter has crashed near Charlottesville, Virginia, where violent clashes erupted at the site of a white nationalist rally. However, it was unclear if the crash may have been linked to the rally.Virginia State Police said Saturday that the helicopter crashed in a wooded area near a home. No one on the ground was injured. Police said they are investigating the cause of the crash.----------</s>Charlottesville, Virginia (CNN) One person was killed and 19 were hurt when a speeding car slammed into a throng of counterprotesters in Charlottesville, where a "Unite the Right" rally of white nationalist and other right-wing groups had been scheduled to take place, the city tweeted on its verified account.

A 32-year-old woman was killed while walking across the street, Charlottesville Police Chief Al Thomas said. Police were still in the process of notifying her family.

Two Virginia State Patrol troopers were killed in a helicopter crash while "assisting public safety resources with the ongoing situation in Charlottesville," the agency said in a news release. The pilot, Lt. H. Jay Cullen, 48, and Trooper Berke M.M. Bates, who would have turned 41 on Sunday, died in the crash.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe had a pointed message for the right-wing groups that flocked to Charlottesville on Saturday: "Go home. ... You are not wanted in this great commonwealth. Shame on you."

In addition to the one death and 19 injuries in the car-ramming incident, the city said there were at least 15 other injuries associated with the scheduled rally.

Federal authorities said a civil rights investigation into the deadly crash was opened hours after it happened.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said U.S. Attorney Rick Mountcastle is leading the investigation and has the full support of the Deparment of Justice.

"The violence and deaths in Charlottesville strike at the heart of American law and justice. When such actions arise from racial bigotry and hatred, they betray our core values and cannot be tolerated," Sessions said in a statement. "Justice will prevail."

"The FBI will collect all available facts and evidence, and as this is an ongoing investigation we are not able to comment further at this time," said a statement from the Richmond, Virginia FBI field office.

"I am heartbroken that a life has been lost here. I urge all people of good will -- go home," Mayor Mike Signer wrote on Twitter.

Virginia's governor had earlier declared an emergency, and police worked to disperse hundreds of protesters in the college town after clashes broke out ahead of the rally's scheduled noon ET start.

Fistfights and screaming matches erupted Saturday, barely 12 hours after a scuffle Friday night at the nearby University of Virginia between torch-bearing demonstrators and counterprotesters.

Saturday's rally was the latest event drawing white nationalists and right-wing activists from across the country to this Democratic-voting town -- a development precipitated by the city's decision to remove symbols of its Confederate past.

Demonstrators clash late Saturday morning in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Here are the latest developments:

• The suspect being held in a Virginia jail in connection with a deadly crash near a scheduled rally of white nationalists has been identified as James Alex Fields Jr. , 20, of Maumee, Ohio, according to Superintendent Martin Kumer with the Albermarle-Charlottesville County Regional Jail. Fields is being held on suspicion of second-degree murder, malicious wounding and failure to stop in an accident that resulted in death.

• Fields' mother, Samantha Bloom, told the Toledo Blade , a CNN affiliate, that he told her last week he was going to an "alt-right" rally, but she didn't get involved in his political views. "I told him to be careful ... if they are going to rally, to make sure he is doing it peacefully," she told the newspaper. CNN's attempt to reach Bloom were unsuccessful.

• Angela Taylor, a spokeswoman for the University of Virginia Medical Center, said there were five patients from the crash in critical condition, four in serious condition, six in fair condition and four in good condition.

CPD & VSP respond to 3-vehicle crash at Water & 4th streets. Several pedestrians struck. Multiple injuries. 1/2 #cvilleaug12 pic.twitter.com/DdHYdL0Uvu — VA State Police (@VSPPIO) August 12, 2017

• Video of the incident shows a gray Dodge Challenger driving quickly down a narrow side street lined with walking protesters. The sports car rams into the back of a silver convertible, which hits the van in front of it. Soon the Dodge driver slams the car in reverse, going back up the street at a high rate of speed, dragging its front bumper. Several people chase the car. As the sports car retreats, a red and white athletic shoe falls off the bumper.

Another video shows at least one person being thrown over the rear of the car onto the roof of the silver convertible then sliding down onto the hood.

• Witness Chris Mahony said he and a friend, who shot one of the videos, were walking down the street when he saw the gray car on the other side of the street.

"It just sat there, looking down the road," he said. "I thought that's a bit strange. There didn't seem to be any other cars stopping him from going. And then a couple moments we heard a car going incredibly fast down the road and then it plowed into the crowd."

• Three other people were arrested Saturday, Virginia State Police said. Two of the men were from out of state. One of the out-of-state men faces a charge of carrying a concealed handgun and the other is charged disorderly conduct. A Virginia man was arrested on suspicion of assault and battery.

• President Donald Trump told reporters: "We are closely following the terrible events unfolding in Charlottesville, Virginia. We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, on many sides. It has been going on for a long time in our country -- not Donald Trump, not Barack Obama. It has been going on for a long, long time. It has no place in America."

• Former President Barack Obama, quoting Nelson Mandela, wrote on Twitter: "No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love. For love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite."

• Sen. Ted Cruz called on the US Justice Department "to immediately investigate and prosecute today's grotesque act of domestic terrorism." In a posting on Facebook , Cruz said it was "tragic and heartbreaking to see hatred and racism once again mar our great nation with bloodshed." Cruz called the white supremacists "repulsive and evil."

Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia People fly into the air as a vehicle drives into a group of people demonstrating against a white nationalist rally after police cleared Emancipation Park in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday, August 12. Hide Caption 1 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia The vehicle moments before it struck the crowd. Hide Caption 2 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia A woman receives first aid after a speeding car slammed into this silver convertible as it navigated through a crowd of counterprotesters. Hide Caption 3 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia A man embraces an injured woman after a car rammed into the crowd. Hide Caption 4 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia Right-wing rally members clash with counterprotesters in Emancipation Park, where white nationalist groups gathered for a rally. Hide Caption 5 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia A counterprotester strikes a white nationalist with a baton during clashes at Emancipation Park, where white nationalists are protesting the removal of the Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee monument. Hide Caption 6 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia A counterprotester throws a newspaper box at a right-wing rally member at the entrance to Emancipation Park. Hide Caption 7 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia A counterprotester uses a lighted spray can against a white nationalist at the entrance to Emancipation Park. Hide Caption 8 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia Counterprotesters try to burn a Confederate battle flag taken from white nationalist protesters. Hide Caption 9 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the "alt-right" clash with counterprotesters. Hide Caption 10 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia A white nationalist is seen with a cut below his eye suffered during clashes with counterprotesters at Emancipation Park . Hide Caption 11 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the alt-right movement exchange volleys of pepper spray with counterprotesters as they enter Emancipation Park. Hide Caption 12 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia A woman is treated for exposure to pepper spray during clashes between white nationalists and counterprotesters at Emancipation Park. Hide Caption 13 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia White nationalists use shields as they guard the entrance to Emancipation Park. Hide Caption 14 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia Counterprotesters line the route taken by white nationalists and neo-Nazis during the "Unite the Right" rally. After clashes with anti-fascist protesters and police, the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Emancipation Park, formerly called Lee Park and home to a controversial statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. Hide Caption 15 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia White nationalist Richard Spencer and his supporters clash with Virginia State Police in Emancipation Park. Hide Caption 16 of 17 Photos: Violence erupts at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia Riot police form a line of defense in front of the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Emancipation Park, recently renamed from Lee Park. Hide Caption 17 of 17

• Police began to break up crowds shortly before noon, after city officials declared the gathering an "unlawful assembly."

• Some protesters fired pepper spray at other demonstrators, state police said.

• Gov. McAuliffe declared a state of emergency "to aid state response to violence," according to a post on his Twitter account

ALERT: Unlawful assembly declared for rally at Emancipation Park #cvilleaug12 pic.twitter.com/2OcchnDNFS — Charlottesville City (@CvilleCityHall) August 12, 2017

Police in riot gear stood shoulder to shoulder behind shields early Saturday afternoon, at times advancing toward crowds, CNN video shows.

By 1 p.m. ET, police had cleared the park where the rally was to be held.

It wasn't immediately clear what led to the fights, though tensions and rhetoric were running hot. At one point, a few dozen white men wearing helmets and holding makeshift shields chanted, "Blood and soil!" Later, another group chanted slogans such as, "Nazi scum off our streets!"

Demonstrators gather Saturday ahead of a "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

People punched and kicked each other during various scuffles, which often were broken up from within crowds, without police intervention, CNN video shows.

Police presence was heavy, with more than 1,000 officers expected to be deployed, city officials said. Police anticipated the rally would attract as many as 2,000 to 6,000 people, and the Southern Poverty Law Center said it could be the "largest hate-gathering of its kind in decades in the United States."

Counterprotesters gather Saturday morning in Charlottesville, Virginia, ahead of a "Unite the Right" rally.

White nationalists wield torches

White nationalists carrying torches surround protesters Friday night at the foot of a statue of Thomas Jefferson on the University of Virginia's campus.

Charlottesville, once home to Thomas Jefferson, is known as a progressive city of about 47,000 people. During last year's presidential election, 80% of its voters chose Hillary Clinton.

But far-right activists and Ku Klux Klan members have come here in recent months, outraged by the city's intention to remove traces of its links to the Confederacy -- including plans to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

The effort developed amid a push by communities across the South to remove Confederate iconography from public property since the 2015 rampage killings of nine black churchgoers in Charleston , South Carolina, by a self-described white supremacist.

Ahead of Saturday's planned rally, tensions roiled Friday night as white nationalists -- some holding what appeared to be backyard tiki-style torches -- marched onto the University of Virginia's campus.

White nationalists and others march Friday night through the University of Virginia campus.

Chanting, "Blood and soil" and "You will not replace us," the group rallied around a statue of Thomas Jefferson before they clashed with counterprotesters, CNN affiliate WWBT reported . The group left the university's grounds when police arrived and declared the gathering an unlawful assembly.

#Charlottesville 9:53pm 🔘 The torches are lit. Hundreds w/ an alt-right march thru UVA pic.twitter.com/H7D2KDbSq6 — Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) August 12, 2017

City and UVA officials condemned Friday's march.

"In my 47 years of association with @UVA, this was the most nauseating thing I've ever seen. We need an exorcism on the Lawn," Larry Sabato, director of the university's Center for Politics, tweeted.

In my 47 years of association with @UVA, this was the most nauseating thing I've ever seen. We need an exorcism on the Lawn. — Larry Sabato (@LarrySabato) August 12, 2017

Signer, the Charlottesville mayor, released a statement referring to Friday's rally as a "cowardly parade of hatred, bigotry, racism, and intolerance march down the lawns of the architect of our Bill of Rights."

"Everyone has a right under the First Amendment to express their opinion peaceably, so here's mine: not only as the Mayor of Charlottesville, but as a UVA faculty member and alumnus, I am beyond disgusted by this unsanctioned and despicable display of visual intimidation on a college campus," he added.

Now gathering around statue of Thomas Jefferson. Chanting 'white lives matter!' pic.twitter.com/16cruXn5d8 — Joe Heim (@JoeHeim) August 12, 2017

Friday's march took place shortly after a federal judge granted a temporary injunction allowing right-wing activists to hold Saturday's rally.

City officials had tried to "modify" the rally's permit to move the demonstration from the park with the Lee statue more than a mile away to McIntire Park, citing safety concerns.

'We're going to start standing up for our history'

In February, the city council voted to remove the Lee statue, but that is on hold pending litigation. The council also voted to rename two city parks that had been named for Confederate generals; one of those, Emancipation Park, was due to be the site of Saturday's rally.

Jason Kessler, who organized Saturday's "Unite the Right" rally, said he doesn't consider himself to be a white nationalist. But, he said, "we're going to start standing up for our history."

"The statue itself is symbolic of a lot of larger issues. The primary three issues are preserving history against this censorship and revisionism -- this political correctness," he told CNN Friday.

"The second issue is being allowed to advocate for your interests as a white person, just like other groups are allowed to advocate for their interests politically. And finally, this is about free speech. We are simply trying to express ourselves and do a demonstration, and the local government has tried to shut us down."</s>Virginia's governor declared an emergency, and police worked to disperse hundreds of protesters in Charlottesville after clashes broke out ahead of Saturday's "Unite the Right" rally of white nationalists and other right-wing groups.

Fistfights and screaming matches erupted shortly before rally's scheduled noon ET start. The skirmishes unfolded following a scuffle Friday night between torch-bearing demonstrators and counter-protesters at the nearby University of Virginia.

Saturday's rally was the latest event drawing white nationalists and right-wing activists from across the country to this Democratic-voting college town -- a development precipitated by the city's decision to remove symbols of its Confederate past.

Here are the latest developments:
• President Donald Trump tweeted: "We ALL must be united & condemn all that hate stands for. There is no place for this kind of violence in America. Lets come together as one!"
• Police began to break up crowds shortly before noon after city officials declared the gathering an "unlawful assembly." Police officers spoke on bullhorns, directing people to leave.
• The declaration was made after fistfights and screaming matches erupted in several locations late Saturday morning.
• Some protesters fired pepper spray at other demonstrators, state police said.
• Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency "to aid state response to violence," according to a post on his Twitter account.
• An unspecified number of protesters have been arrested in Charlottesville, state police said.

Police in riot gear stood shoulder to shoulder behind shields early Saturday afternoon, at times advancing toward crowds, CNN video shows. Members of the Virginia National Guard also were there.

It wasn't immediately clear what led to the fights, though tensions and rhetoric were running hot. At one point, a few dozen white men wearing helmets and holding makeshift shields chanted, "Blood and soil!" Later, another group chanted slogans like, "Nazi scum off our streets!"

People punched and kicked each other during various scuffles, which often were broken up from within crowds, without police intervention, CNN video shows.

Earlier, a group of clergy and other counter-demonstrators, including activist and Harvard professor Cornel West, held hands, prayed and sang, "This Little Light of Mine."

Police presence was heavy, with more than 1,000 officers expected to be deployed, city officials said. Police anticipated the rally would attract as many as 2,000 to 6,000 people, and the Southern Poverty Law Center said it could be the "largest hate-gathering of its kind in decades in the United States."

Charlottesville, once home to Thomas Jefferson, is known as a progressive city of about 47,000 people. Eighty percent of its voters choose Hillary Clinton during last year's election.

But far-right activists and Ku Klux Klan members have come here in recent months, outraged by the city's intention to remove traces of its links to the Confederacy -- including plans to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

The move follows efforts by communities across the South to remove Confederate iconography from public property since the 2015 rampage killings of nine black churchgoers in Charleston by a self-described white supremacist.

Ahead of Saturday's planned rally, tensions roiled Friday night as white nationalists -- some holding what appeared to be backyard tiki-style torches -- marched onto the University of Virginia's campus.

Chanting, "Blood and soil" and "You will not replace us," the group rallied around a statue of Thomas Jefferson before they clashed with counter-protesters, CNN affiliate WWBT reported. The group left the university's grounds when police arrived and declared the gathering an unlawful assembly.

"In my 47 years of association with @UVA, this was the most nauseating thing I've ever seen. We need an exorcism on the Lawn," Larry Sabato, director of the university's Center for Politics tweeted.

Charlottesville Mayor Mike Signer released a statement referring to Friday's rally as a "cowardly parade of hatred, bigotry, racism, and intolerance march down the lawns of the architect of our Bill of Rights."

"Everyone has a right under the First Amendment to express their opinion peaceably, so here's mine: not only as the Mayor of Charlottesville, but as a UVA faculty member and alumnus, I am beyond disgusted by this unsanctioned and despicable display of visual intimidation on a college campus," he added.

Friday's march took place shortly after a federal judge granted a temporary injunction allowing right-wing activists to hold Saturday's rally.

City officials had tried to "modify" the rally's permit to move the demonstration from the park with the Lee statue more than a mile away to McIntire Park, citing safety concerns.

'We're going to start standing up for our history'

In February, the city council voted to remove the Lee statue, but that is on hold pending litigation. The council also voted to rename two city parks that had been named for Confederate generals; one of those, Emancipation Park, was due to be the site of Saturday's rally.

Saturday's event had residents on edge, and more than 40 local business owners near the park have asked the city to protect them.

"I have a lot of fears. I think most of us are just anxious, we don't want there to be violence," business owner Michael Rodi said of the rally.

"We don't want to see a bloodbath, we don't want to see looting, we don't want to see mass arrests, we don't want to see the police having to turn on citizens," he added.

Jason Kessler, who organized Saturday's "Unite the Right" rally, said he doesn't consider himself to be a white nationalist. But, he said, "we're going to start standing up for our history."

"The statue itself is symbolic of a lot of larger issues. The primary three issues are preserving history against this censorship and revisionism -- this political correctness," he told CNN Friday.

"The second issue is being allowed to advocate for your interests as a white person, just like other groups are allowed to advocate for their interests politically. And finally this is about free speech. We are simply trying to express ourselves and do a demonstration, and the local government has tried to shut us down."</s>related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery.

2 related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery.

At least one person was killed in Virginia on Saturday after white nationalists clashed with counter-demonstrators and a car ploughed into a crowd near the scene of the earlier melee, the mayor of Charlottesville said.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.: One person was killed on Saturday when a car slammed into a crowd in Virginia after clashes at a gathering of white nationalists who oppose plans to remove the statue of a Confederate general from a public park, officials said.

At least 34 people were injured in hours of violence between white supremacists and counter protesters in the town of Charlottesville. The state's governor declared an emergency and halted the white nationalist rally, while President Donald Trump condemned the violence.

"I am heartbroken that a life has been lost here," Charlottesville Mayor Mike Singer said on his Twitter feed.

Video on social media and Reuters photographs showed a car slamming into a large group of what appeared to be counter-protesters, sending some flying into the air.

The car incident was being treated as a homicide, local TV broadcaster WVIR reported, citing a city attorney.

“We’re closely following the terrible events unfolding in Charlottesville, Virginia," Trump told reporters at his New Jersey golf course.

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides."

A reporter shouted a question to Trump about whether he had spoken out strongly enough against white nationalists but the president made no comment.

The clashes highlight how the white supremacist movement has resurfaced under the "alt-right" banner after years in the shadows of mainstream American politics.

Prominent Democrats, civil rights activists and even a few Republicans said it was inexcusable of the president not to denounce white supremacy.

Republican U.S. Senator Cory Gardner wrote on Twitter: "Mr. President - we must call evil by its name," adding "These were white supremacists and this was domestic terrorism."

"What we’ve seen today in Charlottesville needs to be condemned and called what it is: hatred, evil, racism & homegrown extremism," former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in a tweet. Kerry served under Democratic President Barack Obama.

The Charlottesville confrontation was a stark reminder of the growing political polarization that has intensified since Trump's election last year.

"You will not erase us," chanted a crowd of white nationalists, while counter-protesters carried placards that read: "Nazi go home" and "Smash white supremacy."

A silver sedan driving at high speed ploughed into the crowd before reversing along the same street. The incident took place about two blocks from the park that houses the statue of Robert E. Lee, who headed the Confederate army in the American Civil War.

Witnesses said it looked like the driver intended to mow down people. Police have not offered any details on the car incident.

“From what I saw, it looked extremely deliberate,” Will Mafei, 23, of Charlottesville said. He also witnessed the car hitting pedestrians as it went in reverse.

The University of Virginia Health Systems received 20 patients from the scene near the car strike. One of those people died and 19 were being treated, a spokeswoman said without offering details on the injuries.

The City of Charlottesville said 15 people were injured at the nearby site of the rally.

Earlier, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency in the city, home of the University of Virginia's flagship campus. The gathering was declared an "unlawful assembly," allowing police to disperse the protesters, and police cleared the park where the rally was to be held.

"I am praying that God help us all," Vice Mayor Wes Bellamy said in an interview with CNN. "We are better than this."

The violence broke out on Friday night, when hundreds of white marchers with blazing torches appeared at the campus of the University of Virginia in a display that critics said was reminiscent of a Ku Klux Klan rally

On Saturday morning, fighting broke out in the city's downtown when hundreds of people, some wearing white nationalist symbols and carrying Confederate battle flags, were confronted by a nearly equal number of counter-protesters.

David Duke, a former leader of the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan, was in Charlottesville for the rally, according to his Twitter account.

The rally was part of a persistent debate in the U.S. South over the display of the Confederate battle flag and other symbols of the rebel side in the Civil War, which was fought over the issue of slavery.</s>Officials say the deaths of two people in a helicopter crash near Charlottesville, Virginia, have been linked to a violent white nationalist rally earlier in the day.

It was not immediately clear how the crash was connected to the rally. Corinne Geller, a Virignia State Police spokeswoman, says the pilot and a passenger were killed in the crash Saturday afternoon.

Virginia State Police said Saturday that the helicopter crashed in a wooded area near a home. No one on the ground was injured. Police said they are investigating the cause of the crash.

The crash happened just a few hours after a car plowed into a crowd of people peacefully protesting against the white nationalist rally. One person was killed and at least two dozen were hurt.</s>Rescue workers assist people who were injured when a car drove through a group of counter protestors at the "Unite the Right" rally Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S., August 12, 2017. Thomson Reuters

Several injuries and at least one death have been reported after a car drove through a crowd of counter-protesters in Charlottesville on Saturday afternoon, according to video footage recorded at the scene and media reports.

The incident occurred after clashes between white nationalists and counter-protesters subsided a bit. At least 19 people have been treated for injuries so far, and Charlottesville mayor Mike Signer said that one person has died. A Virginia State Police spokesperson told The Washington Post that injuries ranged from minor to life-threatening.

The incident appears to have been intentional, and the driver of the car was reportedly arrested shortly after.

The protests accompanied a "Unite the Right" rally that was called by white nationalists in response to a plan to remove a statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee from a park in Charlottesville, Virginia.

One of the counter-protesters who was hit described the scene to a reporter shortly after. "There were just a few cars that counter-protesters were blocking," the man said.

He then said that the driver of the car was "honking their horn" and then "they were just, like, bulldozing through people."

Another witness had two friends who were hit by the car and had to take them to the hospital. The witness described the incident as "absolutely intentional."

"A packed street and a car comes speeding down, at least 40 mph and rams into everyone, backs up and does it again," they said in a text message to Outline staff writer William Turton.

"I am furious & heartsick by the car crash that has injured many," Signer tweeted. "Please all-go home to your families. We can work tomorrow. GO HOME! PLEASE!"

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency earlier on Saturday, as clashes between white nationalists and counter-protesters continued to escalate.

Warning: The footage below contains graphic content and may be disturbing to some viewers</s>CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.: White nationalists clashed with counter-demonstrators in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday, prompting the governor to declare an emergency and stop a rally to protest the planned removal of a Confederate general from a public park.

Fighting broke out in the city's downtown before noon when hundreds of people, some wearing white nationalist symbols and carrying Confederate battle flags, were confronted by a nearly equal number of counter-protesters. The clashes began the previous evening, resulting in at least one arrest.

Soon after the melee erupted, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe declared a state of emergency in the city, home of the University of Virginia's flagship campus. The gathering was declared an "unlawful assembly," allowing police to disperse the protesters.

Many of the combatants on both sides wore helmets and held shields, and some in the crowd brandished wooden poles. Militia members in the city openly carried rifles, although no gunfire was reported.

"You will not erase us," chanted a crowd of white nationalists, while counter-protesters carried placards that read: "Nazi go home" and "Smash white supremacy."

U.S. President Donald Trump, on a working vacation at his New Jersey golf club, condemned the violence and urged Americans to "come together as one."

"We ALL must be united & condemn all that hate stands for," Trump said in a message on Twitter.

After the crowd was dispersed, dozens of law enforcement officers clad in riot gear were seen patrolling the streets, with small clusters of protesters gathered in pockets in the surrounding streets.

Two people were injured in clashes on Saturday, Virginia State Police said on Twitter. Local law enforcement agencies could not be reached immediately for comment.

The clash unfolded ahead of the planned start of a "Unite the Right" rally that was expected to draw thousands of people who are angry at the planned removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee from a public park.

Jason Kessler, a blogger who organised the rally, said in a phone interview that his group dispersed after police declared the assembly to be unlawful.

He blamed Charlottesville officials for cancelling the rally. Scheduled speakers, including white nationalist Richard Spencer, were not given police protection in the melee, he added.

"Our constitutional First Amendment rights were violated," Kessler said, declining to comment on whether his group would try to stage another rally in Charlottesville.

The incident highlights a persistent debate in the U.S. South over the display of the Confederate battle flag and other symbols of the rebel side in the Civil War, which was fought over the issue of slavery.

Supporters of removing statues such as the one of Robert E. Lee call them racially insensitive, while opponents say such moves reflect "empty political correctness" and that the Confederate symbols honour Southern heritage.

More broadly, the confrontation reflects growing political polarization that has intensified since Trump's election in November. The blunt-speaking Republican, who vowed to shake up Washington's political culture, has emboldened both sides of the divide, giving rise to more florid rhetoric and a steady wave of protests.

On Friday night, hundreds of white demonstrators holding flaming torches marched at the University of Virginia in a display that critics said was reminiscent of a Ku Klux Klan rally. Kessler, in an interview, denied the use of torches was tied to the notorious white supremacist group.

Eventually both sides threw punches and pushed each other as police moved in to break up the confrontation. At least one person was arrested on Friday, and several people were treated for minor injuries, the Daily Progress newspaper said.

"The views fuelling the spectacle in Charlottesville are repugnant," House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican, said in a message on Twitter on Saturday. "Let it only serve to unite Americans against this kind of vile bigotry."

The National Guard is on standby, with Virginia State Police coordinating security in the city of 45,000, the governor said in a statement on Friday.
A white nationalist rally called "Unite the Right" takes place in Charlottesville, Virginia.