CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — The Latest on the aftermath of deadly violence at a Virginia rally by white nationalists (all times local):
11:45 a.m.
A monument honoring Confederate soldiers been removed from the grounds of a public building in Florida.
Manatee County spokesman Nick Azzara tells the Bradenton Herald the Confederate war veteran memorial was taken off the grounds of the county courthouse on Thursday morning. Only the slab where the monument stood remained in place.
County commission voted 4-3 to put the monument in temporary storage while exploring a new home for it. The vote followed a protest by hundreds of people, many calling for the removal of the monument.
Earlier this month, Hillsborough County commissions said a Confederate monument would stay put in Tampa unless private funds were raised to move it. Donations poured in, including a promise from the three major sports teams to dedicate funds to move the monument.
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11:30 a.m.
A white nationalist who says he pepper-sprayed a demonstrator in self-defense on the campus of the University of Virginia has made his first court appearance.
News media outlets report that Christopher Cantwell appeared before an Albemarle County General District Court judge on Thursday after turning himself in to authorities late the night before.
The Daily Progress reports that the judge didn’t set a bond, but said Cantwell’s attorney can ask for a bond hearing later. Cantwell told the judge he plans to hire his own lawyer.
Cantwell turned himself in late Wednesday after authorities announced he was wanted on three felony charges: two counts of the illegal use of tear gas or other gases and one count of malicious bodily injury with a “caustic substance,” explosive or fire.
Cantwell acknowledged in an interview with The Associated Press that he had pepper-sprayed a counter-demonstrator but insisted he was defending himself.
10:30 a.m.
Charlottesville officials are planning to meet behind closed doors to discuss personnel matters in the wake of a deadly white nationalist rally.
Mayor Mike Signer said in a statement posted on Facebook that the City Council decided to hold an emergency closed session with the city manager on Thursday. Signer said the events on Aug. 12 “raised serious questions about the city’s handling of security, communications, and governance.”
He said those are questions that the city council should ask “as the ultimate authority over the city manager.”
It has been nearly two weeks since the rally, which attracted what’s believed to be the largest gathering of white nationalists in at least a decade. One woman was killed when a car plowed into a group of counter-protesters.
9 a.m.
An event designed to give Charlottesville residents a chance to talk with city officials about this month’s violent white nationalist rally has been rescheduled.
The city was supposed to host a “community recovery town hall” Thursday evening in collaboration with the Department of Justice.
But the city says in a statement that the town hall now will be held Sunday afternoon due to conflicts with student activities at the local high school. The city says officials will provide an update on “recovery efforts” and offer opportunities for public comment.
It’s been nearly two weeks since the rally, which attracted what’s believed to be the largest gathering of white nationalists in at least a decade. One woman was killed when a car plowed into a group of counter-protesters.
4:30 a.m.
Charlottesville residents are getting a chance to talk with city officials about a white nationalist rally earlier this month that devolved into deadly violence.
The city is hosting what it calls a “community recovery town hall” Thursday evening, in collaboration with a division of the Department of Justice. The event comes a day after workers covered two Confederate statues in black to mourn the death of a woman killed while protesting the rally.
A news release says the city will provide an update on “recovery efforts” and offer opportunities for public comment.
It’s been nearly two weeks since the rally, which attracted what’s believed to be the largest gathering of white nationalists in at least a decade.
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