'Two sides to every story': Donald Trump blames anti-racism campaigners and white supremacists for violent clashes in Charlottesville

Fiona Simpson16 August 2017

Donald Trump has blamed both anti-racism supporters and white supremacists for violence in Virginia which left one woman dead.

The US president originally condemned right-wing activists over the unrest during which a car ploughed into protesters killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer.

On Tuesday Mr Trump claimed left-wing supporters were to blame for “charging” at the alt-right and said that they were “also very violent”, in a statement made at Trump Tower in New York.

He said some of the facts about the events in Charlottesville still weren't known.

"There are two sides to a story," he said.

The comments came despite the president claiming on Monday that members of the KKK, neo-Nazis and white supremacists who take part in violence were "criminals and thugs."

'She died doing what was right': Heather Heyer

The violence erupted during a protest to save a statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee.

Dozens of people were injured as the car mowed into crowds shortly before a Virginia Police helicopter crashed killing a pilot and an officer.

A vigil held in memory of Heather Heyer
Getty Images

Mr Trump said that those defending the statue had also included "many fine people".

He asked whether statues of former presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson should also be torn down, because they had been slave-owners.

Protesters march against white supremacists
AFP/Getty Images

David Duke, a former leader of the Ku Klux Klan, praised the American leaders’ remarks and tweeted: "Thank you President Trump for your honesty & courage to tell the truth about #Charlottesville & condemn the leftist terrorists in BLM/Antifa."

Violence: Rescue personnel help injured people after a car ran into a large group of protesters
AP

The controversial comments came as a fourth business leader resigned from Mr Trump's White House jobs council.

Alliance president Scott Paul, in a tweet, said: "I'm resigning from the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative because it's the right thing for me to do."

US Protests

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Brian Krzanich, chief executive of computer chip giant Intel, also resigned earlier on Monday, along with Kenneth Frazier, chief executive of pharmaceutical firm Merck, and Kevin Plank, boss of sportswear firm Under Armour.

In response to the mass exodus Mr Trump tweeted: "For every CEO that drops out of the Manufacturing Council, I have many to take their place. Grandstanders should not have gone on. JOBS!"

James Alex Fields, Jr. has been charged with murder and three counts of wounding following the clashes.

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