Marcus Martin hit during Charlottesville rally after pushing his fiancee out of the way

HIS photo was shared widely in the wake of the Charlottesville carnage. Now the young white nationalist has spoken out.

Peter Cvjetanovic was one of a number of nationalist protesters. Picture: Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images.

HIS photo was shared widely on social media in the wake of the Charlottesville carnage.

Now the young white nationalist pictured shouting by torchlight at a neo-Nazi rally in Virginia has spoken out in his own defence, insisting he’s not a racist, just concerned about the protection of white culture.

Peter Cvjetanovic — dubbed the “Angry torch guy” on Twitter — is a 20-year-old university student studying history and political science and he’s been labelled a bigot after his photo was widely shared on social media while attending the “Unite the Right” rally, a protest over Charlottesville’s ordered removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee, a top general in the Confederacy.

Peter Cvjetanovic’s picture was shared widely on social media. Picture: Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

“As a white nationalist, I care for all people. We all deserve a future for our children and for our culture. White nationalists aren’t all hateful; we just want to preserve what we have,” he told Channel 2 News.

“I came to this march for the message that white European culture has a right to be here just like every other culture,” Cvjetanovic said.

“It is not perfect; there are flaws to it, of course. However I do believe that the replacement of the statue will be the slow replacement of white heritage within the United States and the people who fought and defended and built their homeland. Robert E Lee is a great example of that. He wasn’t a perfect man, but I want to honour and respect what he stood for during his time.”

Several hundred white nationalists and white supremacists carrying torches marched in a parade through the University of Virginia campus chanting White lives matter! You will not replace us! and Jews will not replace us! Picture: Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

There were calls on social media for Cvjetanovic and other protesters to be “named and shamed” after supporting a rally on Friday ahead of a deadly protest on Saturday where a car rammed into a crowd of counter-protesters opposed to the group’s nationalist views.

#Charlottesville These stupid racist bigots need to be #NamedAndShamed pic.twitter.com/LSo7tdxIYq

— Arctic Friend (@FriendEden100) August 12, 2017

If you recognize any of the Nazis marching in #Charlottesville, send me their names/profiles and I'll make them famous #GoodNightAltRight pic.twitter.com/2tA9xliFVU

— Yes, You're Racist (@YesYoureRacist) August 12, 2017

Meanwhile the maker of TIKI Brand torches has sought to distance itself from the protesters. It released a statement on Facebook saying the torches were designed for use in “backyard gatherings”.

“TIKI Brand is not associated in any way with the events that took place in Charlottesville and are deeply saddened and disappointed,” the post said.

“We do not support their message or the use of our products in this way. Our products are designed to enhance backyard gatherings and to help family and friends connect with each other at home in their yard.”

Protesters held torches during evening rally. Picture: Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Neo Nazis, Alt-Right, and White Supremacists march through the University of Virginia Campus. Picture: Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

It was also that revealed that one of the people pictured flying through the air when a car was deliberately driven into the anti-racism crowd was a 26-year-old who seconds earlier pushed his fiancee out of harm’s way.

Marcus Martin was captured in a photo flying over the back of the hood of a Dodge Charger, his white and red sneakers in the air, while protesting against the white-nationalist march in the US state of Virginia.

Accused neo-Nazi James Fields Jr ploughed his car into the crowd of protesters, hitting scores, including Martin, who pushed his fiancee Marissa Blair, 27, from the driver’s path.

“He saved me then he was under the car,” his fiancee told the Daily Mail .

Marcus Martin (left) was one of a number of people to be hit when a vehicle drove into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville. Picture: Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress via AP

She said moments before the crash, the pair was walking through the streets with their friends, including Heather Heyer, 32, who was killed.

“We hear a commotion from the top of the street. It happened so fast. I felt myself shoved out of the way. (Martin) had pushed me out of the way,” she said.

“He saved me then he was under the car. I checked myself and then immediately thought, ‘Where’s Marcus?’”

Martin sustained a broken leg but Blair said he was in a stable condition.

Sadly, her friend Heyer was killed in the incident.

“I’m still numb,” Blair said. “My friend is dead. Heather was with us because this is what Heather believed in. She died standing up for what she believed in.”

Charlottesville victim Heather Heyer. Picture: Facebook

US President Donald Trump is being criticised by politicians for refusing to condemn far-right groups after the violence that led to the death of one person and injured more than 30.

While Mr Trump’s own national security adviser described the attack as an act of “terrorism” Mr Trump was criticised for waiting too long to address it and when he did, failing to explicitly condemn the white-supremacist marchers who ignited the melee.