Virginia Governor Declares State of Emergency Amid Riot at White Nationalist Rally

The governor of Virginia declared a state of emergency in Charlottesville on Saturday as a protest of a plan to remove a statue of a Confederate general turned violent, leaving several people injured and threatening to plunge the area into chaos.Protesters clashed in the historic college town, as white nationalists -- some waving Confederate flags, chanting Nazi-era slogans, wearing helmets and carrying shields -- converged on the statue of Robert E. Lee in the city's Emancipation Park and the surrounding streets. The protest was the apparent culmination of more than a year of debate and division over the fate of the statue.Outside the park, a huge mass of counter-protesters grew, shouting phrases like "Nazi scum." By 11:35 a.m., police had retreated, the barricades came down and street fights broke out. People were seen clubbing one another in the streets. Pepper spray filled the air as police attempted to contain the situation.  Continue reading...