The father of Heather Heyer, the anti-racist activist killed in the violent clashes over the weekend at Charlottesville, Virginia, has invoked the words of Jesus on the Cross in saying that he forgives the man who allegedly drove into her.
Mark Heyer was speaking on Monday after his 32-year-old daughter was fatally hit by a car after the infamous 'Unite the Right' rally near the University of Virginia on Saturday.
The rally consisted of white supremacists including neo-Nazis and Ku Klux Klan members, who were protesting the proposed removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in the nearby park.
Donald Trump has repeatedly attempted to blame 'all sides' including the 'alt-left' over the clashes, leading to widespread condemnation by many leading Christians.
According to USA Today, Mark Heyer said: 'I just think about what the Lord said on the cross: "Forgive them. They don't know what they're doing,"...I include myself in that in forgiving the guy who did this.'
Heather grew up near Charlottesville and was a paralegal at Miller Law Group, according to the Catholic News Agency.
The law firm described Heather an 'irreplaceable asset,' and recalled her 'big heart for people'.
Her father said: 'She was a strong woman who had passionate opinions about the equality of everyone, and she tried to stand up for that.
'With her, it wasn't lip service. It was real... it was something that she wanted to share with everyone,' he said,adding that 'she had more courage than I did'.
Heather's mother, Susan Bro, also paid tribute to her daughter's passion for others, saying that 'it was important to her to speak up for people who were not being heard'.
The driver of the car that hit Heather is 20-year-old James Alex Fields, who is now facing multiple charges, including a hit and run, second-degree murder, and counts of malicious wounding.
He drove his car into crowds of people who were crossing the streets after the rally, injuring dozens of people, with a total of 19 victims hospitalised.
Mark Heyer added of Heather: 'I hope that her life and what has transpired changes people's hearts.'
