AP/Reuters: The city of Charlottesville marked the anniversary of last summer’s white supremacist violence that sent ripples through the country with largely peaceful vigils and other events, but police had a brief, tense confrontation with demonstrators angry over the heavy security presence there this weekend.
The rally to mark the anniversary of last year’s white nationalist gathering turned largely into an anti-police protest. “Why are you in riot gear? We don’t see no riot here,” activists chanted Saturday evening.
Shortly before a planned evening rally to mark the anniversary of a campus confrontation between torch-carrying white nationalists and counter protesters, activists unfurled a banner that said, “Last year they came w/ torches. This year they come w/ badges.
The standoff ended without any clashes as organizers urged the crowd to move away and begin marching off campus. Police, who appeared to be avoiding a confrontation, rode bicycles ahead of the march to stop traffic.
The newly installed president of the University of Virginia, James Ryan, apologised for the school’s inaction last year while speaking at an event to memorialise the anniversary.
