State of emergency declared ahead of Charlottesville 1-year anniversary

On Wednesday, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) and the city of Charlottesville declared a state of emergency in anticipation of the one-year anniversary of the white supremacist Unite the Right rally.

During the rally, Heather Heyer, 32, was killed when a car drove into a crowd of counterprotesters. Two Virginia State troopers also died that weekend, after their helicopter crashed. Northam's office said there are several events planned for Friday through Sunday in the Charlottesville area, and the Virginia State Police, Virginia National Guard, Virginia Department of Emergency Management, and Virginia Department of Health will all have a presence in the city.

Northam is urging locals to "make alternative plans to engaging with planned demonstrations of hate." The state, he added, "continues to mourn the three Virginians who lost their lives in the course of the demonstrations a year ago. We hope the anniversary of those events passes peacefully."

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