WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The governor of Virginia, Terry McAuliffe, has said that his only message for the white supremacists who brought chaos to the city of Charlottesville is 'Go home'.
A woman died and 19 people were injured when a car rammed a crowd of people opposing a far-right rally there.
Earlier, street brawls erupted between white nationalists and counter-protesters.
Twenty-year-old James Fields from Ohio, the alleged driver of the car, is in detention on suspicion of second-degree murder.
In addition to those injured in the car incident, the Charlottesville Police Department said 15 were wounded in other violence related to the far-right march.
Late in Saturday afternoon, a Virginia State Police helicopter crashed in woodland south-west of the city, killing two police officers. The helicopter had been part of the operation to monitor the clashes.
The 'Unite the Right' march was called to protest against plans to remove a statue of General Robert E Lee, who had fought for the pro-slavery Confederacy during the US Civil War.
Governor Terry McAuliffe released statement regarding the emergency declaration he authorized this morning. 'At 11:28 a.m., the Virginia State Police contacted me to request a state of emergency and I immediately authorized the declaration. We have maintained close contact with the Virginia State Police, the Virginia National Guard, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, and other state and local officials on the ground in Charlottesville, and I agree that the situation in Charlottesville warrants an emergency declaration by me, in order to aid City and County law enforcement in their efforts to restore public safety and order in the City of Charlottesville and the surrounding area. In the days and weeks leading up to this event, my Administration engaged in extensive planning and preparation to ensure that the rally in Charlottesville could be held in a safe and lawful environment. These preparations included the deployment of a large number of state troopers, as well as the Virginia National Guard for support.
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