CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) - Local leaders have advised residents the Ku Klux Klan have planned a rally to protest a Virginia city’s decision to remove a statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee.
The Daily Progress reports (https://bit.ly/2rZvcog ) Charlottesville officials told residents at Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church on Monday about the North Carolina-based Loyal White Knights’ rally scheduled for July 8 at Justice Park, renamed from Jackson Park after a city council vote in early June.
Police chief Al Thomas, Charlottesville’s first African-American in the position, says citizens should stay away because of concerns that emotional decisions made could “force us to step in.”
Vice Mayor Wes Bellamy says a plan for those who “must go” could be to lock arms while silently facing away, as citizens should not fight with them.
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Information from: The Daily Progress, https://www.dailyprogress.com
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