Heather Heyer's mother addresses her memorial service: 'They tried to kill my child to shut her up. Well, guess what? You just magnified her'

The mother of the woman who was killed during a protest against white supremacists in Charlottesville has delivered a powerful eulogy at her memorial service, urging America to not allow her death to be in vain.

Heather Heyer, 32, died on Saturday when James Fields, a white supremacist reportedly obsessed with Hitler, ploughed his car into a crowd protesting against the neo-Nazi rally.

“They tried to kill my child to shut her up,” said Susan Bro. “Well, guess what? You just magnified her.”

Mrs Bro said she was “reading pages and pages” of worldwide coverage of the protests, and revulsion at President Donald Trump’s equating of white supremacists with those who rallied against them.

“I want this to spread. I don’t want this to die. This is just the beginning of Heather’s legacy,” she said.

"You have to find in your heart that spark of accountability. I don’t want you to turn away. You poke that finger at yourself and you make it happen. You take that extra step. You find a way to make a difference in the world."
 

Her grandfather, Elwood Shrader, spoke to pay tribute to her strong sense of justice, while her father, Mark Heyer, told the crowd that he was proud of her.

"No father should have to do this," he said, his eyes filling with tears.

"But I love my daughter. Just love each other."

Hundreds of people poured into the Paramount Theatre in Charlottesville to pay tribute to Heyer. White supremacists had threatened to protest outside, but did not appear – to the relief of all inside.

A small group of anti-racist protesters wearing pink helmets and carrying baseball bats and purple shields stood quietly near the theatre. One of the group, who declined to be identified, said they brought weapons to defend themselves in case the white supremacists returned.

"The cops didn't protect us on Saturday and we don't trust them to do so today," the group member said.

Inside the theatre, the crowd fell silent for the hymn Amazing Grace, sung while the sound of the sea played in the background.

The singer, Barbara Edwards, wife of the pastor of the city's Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church, said it evokes the singing of the anthem in the belly of a slave ship.

Terry McAuliffe, governor of Virginia, sat in the 1930s theatre alongside Tim Kaine, the running mate of Hillary Clinton, and senator for Virginia.

At the request of Heyer's family, many of those in attendance wore purple, her favorite colour.

In a tweet, Mr Trump described Heyer as "beautiful and incredible ... a truly special young woman. She will be long remembered by all!"

Mrs Bro thanked the president for condemning the violence on Monday. She has not responded since he backtracked on that on Tuesday evening, and the family asked that the memorial speakers refrain from making political statements.

He is not believed to have contacted the Heyer family.

But Mrs Bro concluded: "If you are not outraged, you are not paying attention. Make a point to look at it. That’s how you make her death worthwhile.

"I’d rather have my child, but if I can’t have her, by golly we’re going to make it count."

Also killed on Saturday were two Virginia State Police troopers who were aboard a helicopter that was providing video of the event.

The helicopter crashed outside of Charlottesville. An investigation into the crash is ongoing.

A funeral for Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Bates has been set for Friday and a funeral for Lt. H. Jay Cullen, the helicopter's pilot, is scheduled for Saturday.