At the Wednesday funeral of Heather Heyer, the woman mowed down by a white supremacist—a group of anti-fascist protesters decided to show up armed.

The protestors were part of Antifa, the group of protesters who showed up with purple shields and bats at the funeral located in Paramount Theatre, Aug. 16.

According to Taylor Lorenz‏, a reporter for The Hill at the scene of the funeral, the anti-fascist protesters claimed they arrived armed and ready since “the police won’t protect the people.”

Reports say police on the scene during the weekend riots were idly standing by and not showing any initiative to break up the clashes or form a barrier to divide the two groups.

“The policing on Saturday was not effective in preventing violence,” American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia stated in a Aug. 14 release. “In fact, law enforcement was standing passively by, seeming to be waiting for violence to take place, so that they would have grounds to declare an emergency, declare an ‘unlawful assembly’ and clear the area.”

The group of Antifa protesters was quickly “swarmed” by reporters, Lorenz‏ tweeted.

The line from the community to enter Heyer’s funeral in Charlottesville spanned two blocks, according to the reporter on the scene.

Heyer died during a “Unite the Right” rally which was protesting the removal of a Confederate statue. The rally members had a permit to protest and members included alt-right groups. Later they were met with a massive crowd of counter protesters including from Antifa and Black Lives Matter, and that’s when things started to get violent.

From NTD.tv

Trump Describes Heather Heyer as a “Truly special Young Woman” in Tweet

By Jasper Fakkert

A memorial service for Heather Heyer, 32, who was killed when a car plunged into a counter protest of a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, was held on Aug. 16.

During the memorial service, Meyer’s mother, Susan Bro, said she had never expected having to bury her own child.

She described Meyer as a caring and compassionate person who was passionate for what she stood for.

President Donald Trump also tweeted about the memorial service saying: “Memorial service today for beautiful and incredible Heather Heyer, a truly special young woman. She will be long remembered by all!”

At a press conference a day earlier Trump made reference to a “beautiful statement” Heyer’s mother had sent him. Bro had written, “Thank you, President Trump, for those words of comfort and for denouncing those who promote violence and hatred.”

Following the violence in Charlottesville, Trump condemned what he described as the “egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence” saying it has no place in America. He specifically condemned the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, but has also said that the alt-left was in part to blame for the violence.

At the memorial service, Meyer’s mother said she hoped that people can talk about their differences instead of resorting to violence.

“The truth is, we are going to have our differences. We are going to be angry with each other, but let’s channel that anger, not into hate, not into violence. Not into fear, but channel that difference, that anger, into righteous action,” she said.