Uni Students Shine As Heroes in the Charlottesville White Nationalist March

A huge white nationalist march has dominated news over the weekend in the United States.

The march, "Unite the Right", occurred in Charlottesville, Virginia and was in retaliation to the removal of a statue depicting Confederate General Robert E. Lee, situated in Emancipation Park. 

But the heroes of the story weren't just law enforcement officials. Photos started to surface of young university students, from the nearby University of Virginia, counter-protesting while surrounded by white nationalists with tiki torches.

These are literally young UVA students age 17-23 standing up to a sea of white supremacists and neo-Nazis surrounding them #Charlottesville pic.twitter.com/VEU3mU9d3o

— sophia armen (@SophiaArmen) August 12, 2017

The march started to become violent after the counter-protesters were allegedly pepper-sprayed by the white nationalists who also swung their lit tiki torches at them. At this point, law enforcement officials stepped in to separate the protest groups.

One of the students told Cavalier Daily it was a scary scene.

"This is not something that we thought would ever happen, that we would ever see in our lifetime," the second-year student told Cavalier Daily. "It's wild."

People were quick to praise the students for their bravery.

If you ever get confused about what bravery is, it's this. https://t.co/XjVJTZg9ml

— Scott Beggs (@scottmbeggs) August 12, 2017

Millennials are definitely on the right side of history. We need more millennials in government than baby boomers

— Adam E Ross (@adammanross) August 12, 2017

Tell me again how today's college students are scared snowflakes. This takes real courage. https://t.co/wHGdFXy435

— Benjamin McKean (@BLMcKean) August 12, 2017

A car later rammed into another group of counter-protesters causing the death of a 32-year-old paralegal and injuring another 19 people. A 20-year-old man has been charged with second-degree murder.

U.S. President Donald Trump faced criticism after certain critics suggested that his condemnation of the attacks was weak.

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, on many sides," Trump said in a press conference.

Criticism was hurled at his use of "on many sides" which appeared to lump together the counter-protesters with the white nationalists. 

Photo: iStock