US President Donald Trump has come under fire after his vague stance on the violence perpetrated by a group of white supremacists on Saturday. A “Unite the Right” rally was organised by the group in Virginia to protest for the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee, an American Confederate general during the American Civil War, according to Reuters. The protesters also included neo-Nazis. Here are 10 things you need to know about what has happened in Charlottesville:
1. White supremacists marched against the statue chanting the Nazi phrase ‘Blood and soil!’. Clashes broke out between the group and counter protesters.
2. The white supremacist protesters were openly carrying weapons like AK-47s, according to PTI. During the protest, a man named James Alex Fields, Jr ploughed his car into the crowd killing a 32-year-old woman and injuring 19 people.
3. A state police helicopter that was watching over the protesters crashed, killling two state troopers inside it. The reason for the crash is not clear yet.
4. After receiving flak from Democrats and some Republicans, President Trump said that both sides are to be blamed for the clashes in Virginia. According to Reuters, he pointed out that the Left violently attacked the white nationalists over the weekend.
5. Indians living abroad and Indian Americans are anxious after the Saturday incident, according to the report. Vilas Annavarapu, an Indian American student at the University of Virginia told PTI, “I’ve always understood that being a person of colour, I will have to be more careful when I walk down the streets. But I don’t think I’ve ever felt as threatened as I have over these past two days.” Annavarapu said that while these sentiments always prevailed, it is now that the white supremacists have the authority to come out in public and incite violence.
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6. Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi called the event a “disgrace” and condemned Trump’s stand. Krishnamoorthi has, in response, drafted a legislation to investigate and curb hate crimes in the United States. He told PTI, “The events in Charlottesville and the hate-motivated crimes we’ve witnessed across the country demand a response, and this commission will report to Congress on the scale of the problem, the causes for the increase in hate crimes, and how we may best combat it.”
7. “Unite the Right” rally organizer Jason Kessler has been charged with second-degree murder among other charges. He has also been sued for $3 million by two people who were injured in the protest, reported Reuters.
8. After Trump’s unsatisfactory response, a few business leaders quit the presidential advisory panel. And PepsiCo Chief Executive Officer Indra Nooyi has come under fire for not stepping down from the President’s business advisory council, Bloomberg reported.
9. Color of Change, a nonprofit racial-justice group has been pressuring Nooyi and now its members have targeted her with the hashtag #QuitTheCouncil on Twitter.
10. Former President Barack Obama has stepped into the debate with a tweet that has become one of the most liked ever. He said, “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion.”
