Ivanka Trump says there is no room in US for neo-Nazism

Ivanka Trump, US President Donald Trump’s daughter and a White House adviser, explicitly condemned “white supremacy, racism and neo-nazism” late Saturday in a manner her father seems reluctant to do.

The tweets come on the anniversary of deadly unrest triggered by a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

A similar far-right rally is scheduled for Sunday outside the White House after the white supremacists who organized the 2017 march were denied a permit to reconvene in Charlottesville.

However, they have been granted permission to gather in Washington, DC, on Sunday evening at Lafayette Park, near the White House.

“One year ago in Charlottesville, we witnessed an ugly display of hatred, racism, bigotry & violence,” tweeted Ivanka Trump, who is Jewish.

“While Americans are blessed to live in a nation that protects liberty, freedom of speech and diversity of opinion, there is no place for white supremacy, racism and neo-nazism in our great country,” she said.

“Rather than tearing each other down with hatred, racism & violence, we can lift one another up, strengthen our communities and strive to help every American achieve his or her full potential!”

The tweets are notable because her father drew scorn after the Charlottesville bloodshed for initially avoiding any condemnation of the torch-bearing white supremacists who took part in that rally.

President Trump was roundly condemned for saying that there were “very fine people, on both sides” among the racists and the counter-protesters.

Two days later, after a firestorm of criticism, the president said: “Racism is evil and those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups.”

On Saturday the president issued a generic condemnation of racism in one of seven tweets of the day.

“The riots in Charlottesville a year ago resulted in senseless death and division,” he wrote.

“We must come together as a nation. I condemn all types of racism and acts of violence. Peace to ALL Americans!”

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 students angry over the heavy security presence there this weekend.

Shortly before a pre-planned evening rally to mark the anniversary of a campus confrontation between torch-carrying white nationalists and counterprotesters, activists unfurled a banner that said, “Last year they came w/ torches. This year they come w/ badges.”

A group of more than 200 protesters then marched to another part of the University of Virginia’s campus, where many in the crowd shouted at officers in riot gear who had formed a line.

The 2017 “Unite the Right” rally drew hundreds of white nationalists to the college town, where officials planned to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. Hundreds more came out to protest against the white nationalists.

The neo-Nazis and white supremacists protesters chanted racist and anti-Semitic slogans, including “Jews will not replace us,” and brawled with counterprotesters.

The march culminated in a car-ramming attack on counter-protesters that killed one person and injured at least 20.

Last month the driver, James Alex Fields Jr. from Ohio, pleaded not guilty to federal hate crime charges in the violence that killed 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injured dozens more.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.