Jury hits organizers of 'Unite the Right' rally with $26 mln verdict
Then-President Donald Trump was criticized for initially saying there were "fine people on both sides" after the rally devolved into violent clashes
A federal jury in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Tuesday found the organizers of the 2017 "Unite the Right" white nationalist rally liable for injuries sustained by counter-protesters and awarded approximately $26 million in damages.
The nine plaintiffs in the case said they suffered physical or emotional trauma at the rally, including four who were struck when a self-described neo-Nazi, James Fields, drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer.
After a four-week trial, the jury found in favor of the victims on four of six counts but was unable to come to a unanimous verdict on the other two, according to court filings.
The rally followed months of protests over the city's plan to remove a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Hundreds of white nationalists traveled to Charlottesville in August 2017, with some marching on the University of Virginia campus carrying torches and chanting "Jews will not replace us!"
Then-President Donald Trump was criticized for initially saying there were "fine people on both sides" after the rally devolved into violent clashes.
