UPDATE: The mother of Heather Heyer, who died after a car drove into a crowd of protestors in Charlottesville, Virginia, has spoken out about her daughter’s devastating death at a memorial service.
Speaking before 1200 mourners at the Paramount Theatre, mother Susan Bro told the crowd: “I’d rather have my child,” she said, The Guardian reports. “But by golly, if I’ve got give her up, we’re going to make it count.”
The 32-year-old paralegal was allegedly mowed down by James Fields while she was protesting against a white nationalist rally. 19 others were hospitalised after the incident.
“They tried to kill my child to shut her up. Well, guess what? You just magnified her,” Ms Bro said.
“You poke that finger at yourself like Heather would have done and you make it happen.”
Ms Bro continued: “You take that extra step and you find a way to make a difference in the world!”
This week, US President Donald Trump was condemned for his outrageous comments that blamed “both sides” for the violence that erupted in Charlottesville.
ORIGINAL
On Saturday, 32-year-old Heather was part of a demonstration against a rally of white supremacist protestors. Her mother, Susan Bro, said Heather had always stood up for the rights of others.
“She always had a very strong sense of right and wrong, she always, even as a child, was very caught up in what she believed to be fair,” Ms Bro told Huffington Post. “Somehow I almost feel that this is what she was born to be, is a focal point for change. I’m proud that what she was doing was peaceful, she wasn’t there fighting with people.”
In an interview with ABC News, Ms Bro spoke out about the anger and hatred that has divided many in America.
“Heather’s life was not about hate…and this young man who ran my daughter down mistakenly believed that hate would change the world, and it doesn’t,” she said.
“Hate harms people, and I don’t want more hate brought by my daughter’s death.
“I want peace that she would want. I want change. I want equality. I want fairness, and I want it done peacefully.”
She added that since the news of Heather’s death, falling asleep has become too painful because “every time I close my eyes I have tears running down my face.”
