Murder or self-defence? Trial begins for driver at Charlottesville rally

James Fields, 21, is facing 10 criminal counts for his role in the violence. He ploughed his car into a crowd of counter-protesters at last year's white nationalist rally in Virginia, killing a woman.

James Alex Fields Jr (L) is seen attending the "Unite the Right" rally in Emancipation Park before being arrested by police and charged with charged with one count of second degree murder, three counts of malicious wounding and one count of failing to stop at an accident that resulted in a death after police say he drove a car into a crowd of counter-protesters later in the afternoon in Charlottesville, Virginia, US. (August 12, 2017)
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James Alex Fields Jr (L) is seen attending the "Unite the Right" rally in Emancipation Park before being arrested by police and charged with charged with one count of second degree murder, three counts of malicious wounding and one count of failing to stop at an accident that resulted in a death after police say he drove a car into a crowd of counter-protesters later in the afternoon in Charlottesville, Virginia, US. (August 12, 2017)

The man who ploughed his car into a crowd of counter-protesters at last year's white nationalist rally in Virginia had every intention to kill, a prosecutor told jurors on Thursday at the start of his murder trial.

"It was willful, premeditated murder," Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Nina-Alice Antony said in Charlottesville Circuit Court, where James Fields, 21, is facing 10 criminal counts for his role in the violence.

Fields' attorney, John Hill, said the Ohio man acted in self-defence after becoming frightened by the mass of people around his car.

"You will hear James tell officers he feared for his safety," Hill said, referring to his client's comments to police following the crash. "He was scared to death."

Lionel Donovan reports from Charlottesville.

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Heather Heyer, 32, was killed in the incident, which capped two days of chaos in August 2017 when hundreds of white nationalists descended on Charlottesville, home of the University of Virginia, to protest the planned removal of a Confederate statue from a public park. Two state troopers were also killed during the protests when their helicopter crashed.

The "Unite the Right" rally followed a Friday night demonstration when hundreds of torch-carrying men chanted anti-Semitic slogans and clashed with counter-protesters.

US President Donald Trump was heavily criticised for his response to the violence after he said there were "very fine people on both sides," seemingly equating the white nationalists with those who demonstrated against them.

Heyer's mother, Susan Bro, declined to return phone calls from the White House last year after hearing of Trump's remarks.

The bedlam left lasting wounds in Charlottesville, which has been forced to confront its own complicated racial legacy after the violence.

But it also damaged the image of the "alt-right" movement, a loose alignment of fringe groups centred on white nationalism and emboldened by Trump's 2016 presidential victory. In August, a one-year anniversary rally in Washington drew just two dozen participants, who were kept safe by police amid thousands of counterprotesters.

Fields was photographed hours before last year's attack carrying a shield with the emblem of a far-right hate group, although the group later denied he was a member.

His case is being heard by a jury of nine women and seven men, including one African-American juror; four will be designated as alternates at the close of the trial, which is expected to last up to three weeks. Fields has also been charged with federal hate crimes and pleaded not guilty.

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