Protesters had a swift and vocal response to Trump’s news conference, where he said “both sides” were to blame for the attack in Charlottesville. Michael George reports.
What to Know
- Protesters gathered for a second night of demonstrations outside Trump Tower Tuesday
- Donald Trump has been under fire for his response to weekend violence at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia
- At least three people were arrested in separate rallies outside Trump Tower Monday evening
Award-winning documentary filmmaker Michael Moore, joined by actor Mark Ruffalo, led audience members of his new Broadway play to Trump Tower to protest President Donald Trump's comments about the deadly violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.
It was the second round of protests outside the building since the president arrived in New York City Monday night, and it was a swift and vocal response to Trump's earlier news conference at the tower, where he angrily doubled down on his belief that "both sides" were to blame for the violence in Charlottesville.
"I think there's blame on both sides," Trump said Tuesday. "I have no doubt about it, and you don't have any doubt about it either."
Violent clashes broke out Saturday at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville between people protesting efforts to remove of a Confederate statue and counter-protesters. Police said one of the white nationalists plowed a car into a crowd, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and wounding many others.
On Facebook, Moore urged people to join him at the tower following Tuesday night's performance of his one-man show "The Terms of My Surrender" to "nonviolently express our rage."
Moore, who led groups of people on buses to the tower, described the president's comments as "just awful, disgusting."
During the bus ride, Ruffalo, using a bullhorn, led the group in chants including "No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA" and encouraged people on the street to join them at the Manhattan skyscraper.
"I've condemned Neo-Nazis," Trump added at the press conference. "I've condemned many different groups. But not all of those people were Neo-Nazis, believe me. Not all of those people were white supremacists. By any stretch."
At the protest, Moore and Ruffalo held a candlelight vigil, urging the crowd to never forget Heyer and make sure she didn't "die in vain."
One protester outside the tower said she thinks Trump equated peaceful protesters to Nazis.
"It was a disgusting statement," protester Marina Sgroi said. "They weren't bad people trying to start a fight. They were people there to denounce hate."
Hundreds of demonstrators have been gathering at Trump Tower since the president arrived. Three people were arrested Monday and are facing charges of disorderly conduct, reckless endangerment and obstructing government administration, police said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
