First picture of Heather Heyer – the woman killed at US white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia when car ploughed into peaceful counter-protesters
THE mother of social justice campaigner killed by a car that ploughed into peaceful counter-demonstrators at a white supremacist rally says her daughter's death should be a "rallying cry for social justice".
Heather Heyer, 32, had been marching near a mall in the town after nationalists dispersed from the scene.
The young paralegal from Green County, Virginia, died when the Dodge Challenger rammed protesters at the Unite the Right in Virginia yesterday.
Today Heather’s mum, Susan Bro, told the that her daughter's death should be a "rallying cry for social justice".
She said: “Heather was not about hate, Heather was about stopping hatred.
“Heather was about bringing an end to injustice.
"I don’t want her death to be a focus for more hatred, I want her death to be a rallying cry for justice and equality and fairness and compassion.”
Earlier today emotional tributes poured in online, with many saying Heather died fighting against racism, as she was pictured for the first time.
One Twitter user said: "Her name was Heather Heyer. Killer by a coward in cold blood. Thank you for your heroism Heather. You won't be forgotten. #Charlottesville".
In one of her last Facebook posts, the victim wrote: "If you are not outraged, you are not paying attention."
A , set up to raise money for Heather's family, has raised more than $37,000 (£28,600) in just seven hours.
Speaking in press conference, the Charlottesville police chief said of the attack: "The crash also claimed the life of a 32-year-old female pedestrian at the intersection as she was crossing the street."
19 more were injured in the motorist's deadly attack and horrifying footage has emerged showing the car knocking bodies into the air while accelerating through the placard-waving crowd as onlookers scream in terror.
A 20-year-old suspect, James Alex Fields, from Ohio, has been arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder, malicious wounding and failing to stop for an accident involving a death.
Around 16 others were also hurt in other violent clashes during the demonstration in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Samantha Bloom, the woman who has identified herself as mother of suspect James Alex Fields, revealed she was cat sitting for him when he left for the rally and told him to "be careful".
In a video interview, the stunned mum says she had no idea what her son was going to do: "I just knew he was going to a rally... I try to stay out of his political views. I don't really get too involved."
"I don't really understand what the rally was about or anything," she added. "I didn't know it was white supremacists."
Meanwhile, a police helicopter also crashed seven miles southwest of Charlottesville, killing two, during the protests, although it is not clear if the crash is related to the violence.
Virginia State Police identified the fallen troopers as Lieutenant H. Jay Cullen and Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Bates.
The disturbing video shows the Dodge ramming into the back of a Toyota resulting in a woman being thrown on top of the Japanese-made vehicle while others lie crumpled on the street screaming in pain.
Another video has emerged showing the rogue car accelerating towards the crowd before smashing into the demonstrators and the white Toyota.
"Charlottesville Police and Virginia State Police are on the scene of a three vehicle accident" said authorities in a statement. "Multiple injuries are reported."
A witness said a dozen people had been hurt in the collision - which he called "intentional" - saying one girl got "tore up" after the car "backed up and they hit again."
He said the dark car "raced down here, jumped over the speed bumps and it backed up and it hit everyone again."
"There was a girl that was on the ground; she was trying to get up," he added.
President Donald Trump has spoken following the deadly car attack condemning the violence "on many sides."
"We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides," Trump said from Bedminster, New Jersey, where he is on a working vacation.
"The hate and the division must stop right now," he said. "We have to come together as Americans with love for our nation."
The president later tweeted: "Condolences to the family of the young woman killed today, and best regards to all of those injured, in Charlottesville, Virginia. So sad!"
Senator John McCain branded the atrocity a "white supremacist attack".
Terry McAuliffe, the Governor of Virginia said: "I have a message to all the white supremacists and the Nazis who came into Charlottesville today... go home."
"There is no place for you here. There is no place for you in America," he said.
White supremacists armed with rifles, shields and helmets clashed with counter protesters at the Unite the Right rally today despite a state of emergency being declared after the first violent clashes last night, when the far-right demonstrators marched on the University of Virginia wielding wooden torches.
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Organisers of the Unite the Right rally claim that white people in America are being persecuted and that white history is being erased from the American identity.
They could be heard chanting racist slogans including one belonging to the Nazis using the words "blood and soil".
Marchers were met by counter-protesters at the statue of Thomas Jefferson - the university's founder and third president of the United States.
Footage from the scene saw marchers beating people with their wooden torches.
The Unite the Right rally is expected to draw some 6,000 people and as many counter protesters.
President Trump earlier slammed the rally on Twitter insisting the country must "come together as one."
He tweeted: "We ALL must be united & condemn all that hate stands for. There is no place for this kind of violence in America. Lets come together as one!"
Last night, counter-white supremacist protesters took to the streets of Oakland in response to the deadly violence that erupted at the rally in Charlottesville.
Protests blocked both directions of the Interstate 580 freeway as they chanted anti-racism slogans.
Wielding flags and megaphones they decried the killing in Charlottesville and the ideology of the alt-right .
Virginia's national guard have been put on alert by state authorities should they need to help police keep the peace.
The rally in Charlottesville is taking place in Emancipation Park, the new name given to it by city councillors.
The name change from Lee Park was voted in earlier this year in an attempt to tackle the tainted history of the Confederacy who fought to keep slavery in the US civil war.
The park was named after famed general Robert E. Lee whose statue remains standing in the park.
A legal challenge to its removal, supported by far-right activists, has meant a judge will decide on its future.
A decision is expected at the end of the month.
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