*This is a developing story.
Saturday’s neo-Confederate rally is shaping into a larger event, with an announcement from Black Lives Matter of Greater New York (BLM NY) that they’ll be attending. The group is seeking donations via GoFundMe to purchase protective gear for the rally.
Screenshot of the GoFundMe page
They’ve posted the following brief statement on Facebook and GoFundMe:
We’re going to Richmond, Va to counter-protest the continuous terrorism, hate, and bigotry in America. There’s a rally taking place September 16, 2017 to defend the Robert E. Lee statue and to promote the Confederacy. In the name of freedom, liberation for Black people/POC, and Heather Heyer (the brave soul that was murdered by a white supremacist) we will continue to fight!
Although CSA II: The New Confederate States of America, the group behind the rally has explicitly disinvited the violent protesters that appeared in Charlottesville, they are planning to open carry, and local residents have expressed concern about the rally leading to violence, unintentional or not. “We are going to Richmond Virginia tomorrow night to protest white supremacists on Saturday morning. This is another protests around the statue similar to Charlottesville,” wrote Hawk Newsome, BLM NY President, in a Facebook post from earlier today. The group announced their plans to attend last night, marking one of the first significant national counter-protest group coming.
This announcement comes as the Richmond Police Department have expanded the no-parking zones previously announced and issued a statement asking citizens to report any suspicious activity to 911 and sign up for the municipal codeRED alert system. They also advised locals to stay clear of Lee monument this Saturday owing to the potential for violence. The RPD is holding a press conference at the police training academy at 3:30 PM today and a community meeting at the First Baptist Church on Monument Avenue tonight at 6 PM.
*Cover Photo by Black Lives Matter of Greater New York
