IranPress/America- Two dozen white nationalists rallied in the US capital on Sunday as they were vastly outnumbered by throngs of counterprotesters.
Police and demonstrators clashed on the sidelines of these rallies with police spraying the demonstrators to quell the violence.
Black Lives Matter along with another group, Shut It Down D.C., staged a counter protest on the same day of the Unite the Right Rally.
"Unite the Right 2" had been denied a permit in Charlottesville this year, but did secure one for Washington.
Trump's tweet stood in contrast to his infamous reaction to Charlottesville attack
Sunday's demonstrations took place as racial tensions in the US have increased in recent months.
The demonstrations also come at a time when the wounds from last year's events in Charlottesville remain raw, particularly in regard to the death of counterprotester Heather Heyer, who was killed when a suspected neo-Nazi sympathizer drove a car into a crowd.
US president Donald Trump also set off a firestorm when, days after the Unite the Right rally on August 12, 2017, he refused to assign blame to right-wing extremists, instead telling reporters that “many sides” were to blame for the violence. He also said that both the white nationalist demonstrators who had descended on Charlottesville and the counterprotesters who met them included “very fine people.” His comments prompted widespread backlash and inspired business leaders to flee his administration.
US police officers use pepper spray towards demonstrators
One year after,Trump marked the anniversary with a tweet that stood in contrast to his infamous reaction in the event’s aftermath.
But his words have so often eclipsed any actions. Just a week ago, Trump insulted the intelligence of one of the nation’s most prominent black athletes, LeBron James, as well as the black journalist who interviewed the basketball star, Don Lemon.
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