Opponents of white supremacist rally begin to gather in Charlottesville

Dozens of activists and residents gather at a Charlottesville, Virginia, city park to protest racism and to observe the one-year anniversary of a rally by white supremacists that turned deadly.

The Rev. Seth Wispelwey is a founder last year of a group of clergy and lay people called “Congregate C-ville.” The group came together in direct response to white nationalists who gathered in Charlottesville for a “Unite the Right” rally on August 12, 2017.

On that day, white supremacists and counterprotesters clashed in the city streets before a car driven into a crowd struck and killed 32-year-old Heather Heyer.

Wispelwey says the city’s residents are still reeling from the violence that day, but he expresses hope that the anniversary can be a turning point.

— AP