US President Donald Trump on Monday denounced white supremacists, neo-Nazis and the KKK as un-American and promised swift justice against those responsible for the death in Charlottesville, Virginia.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence. It has no place in America,” Trump said at the White House.
“Racism is evil, and those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK (Ku Klux Klan), neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans,” the President added.
America is based on the idea that all people are created equal, under law and under the Constitution, Trump said, and “those who spread violence in the name of bigotry strike at the very core of America.”
“In times like these, America has always shown its true character, responding to hate with love, division with unity, and violence with an unwavering resolve for justice,” Trump said.
The President expressed condolences to the family of Heather Heyer, the 32-year-old paralegal who died when a car ran into the crowd of protesters in Charlottesville, as well as two Virginia state troopers whose helicopter crashed while they were monitoring the events in the city.
A state of emergency was declared in Charlottesville over the weekend, as counter-protesters clashed with attendees of the “Unite the Right” rally, many of whom carried flags and symbols belonging to neo-Nazi, Ku Klux Klan and white nationalist groups.