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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah lawmakers were quick Saturday to denounce the violence in Charlottesville, where one person was killed and dozens more injured when a car plowed into a crowd of people protesting a white nationalist rally.
The deaths of two others in a helicopter crash were also linked to the rally by police.
The crash happened nearly two hours after violent confrontations between hundreds of protestors and counter-protestors.
"Bigotry and racism have no place in our society. We condemn such acts in the strongest terms," Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said from his Twitter account.
In a second tweet, he thanked the governor of Virginia for "swiftly and thoroughly denouncing the violence and hatred at this rally."
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said the ideals of the protestors are "fueled by hate," and "have no place in civil society."
"We should call evil by its name. My brother didn't give his life fighting Hitler for Nazi ideas to go unchallenged here at home," he said on Twitter.
We should call evil by its name. My brother didn't give his life fighting Hitler for Nazi ideas to go unchallenged here at home. -OGH
— Senator Hatch Office (@senorrinhatch) August 12, 2017
#hatch_tweet
Hatch's 20-year-old brother was killed in World War II when his B-24 bomber went down over Austria, another tweet clarified.
Rep. Mia Love, R-Utah, and Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams also condemned the violence in Virginia.
"The violence and hatred on display in Charlottesville is repulsive. This is not who we are as a nation. We must be united against this bigotry because America is better than this," Love said in a statement.
"I strongly condemn the violence in Virginia and support Governor of Virginia Terry McAuliffe's effort to restore order," McAdams posted on Facebook. "It is terribly sad to see anger and hatred take over when we all know that resolving disagreements peacefully is the path to better, more united communities."
Ashley Stilson is a graduate of Utah State University and working as an intern for the Deseret News. Contact her at astilson@deseretnews.com.
