A Ku Klux Klan rally in Charlottesville, Virginia on Sunday drew over 1,000 protesters against them. In the weeks leading up to it, the city officials urged people not to come and protest, but they did anyway. The police escorted the Klansmen, who were chanting “white power.” Those chants were often drowned out by the counter chants of, “Racists go home.”
Around 50 members of the local KKK showed up to protest the removal of a Confederate statue of General Robert E. Lee. Their protest was met with over 1,000 counter protesters.
Mayor Mike Signer said:
“There are … people who did go to the park, and that is their right, but I can tell you that thousands have chosen not to go to the park and instead join the events that have been planned. I am extremely proud of my city. I have said a few times today, this is what democracy looks like.”
After the protest, the police had to help the KKK members reach their vehicles. They were met with the counter protesters trying to block the cars. The police said it was an unlawful assembly. Throughout the day, about 23 people were arrested, but we are not sure if they were Klan members or counter protesters.
Miriam Dickler, a city spokeswoman, said:
“There were a number of incidents, including the use of pepper spray by the crowd… The crowd immediately dispersed.”
Candice Maupin, a city resident and one of the counter-protesters, said:
“We were just standing there, peaceful, on the sidewalk. We heard this boom, and then this green smoke, and our eyes started burning.”
Amanda Barker, who identified herself on Saturday as a member of the Ku Klux Klan, said:
“People should be able to respect our heritage.”
She also said that she was underwhelmed by the amount of people who showed up to counter their protest. As much as I hate the KKK, they do have the right to protest.
Check out this video for more on the KKK rally and counter-protest (after the jump):
Featured image via YouTube screenshot.
