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Statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee Vandalized in Richmond

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*This story has been updated

The statue glorifying Confederate General Robert E. Lee, which sits on Monument Ave. in Richmond, was vandalized in the early hours of the morning. Dark red paint was splashed all over the plinth of the statue with the letters BLM written on the base – seemingly an acronym for the group Black Lives Matter.

Two capitol police officers were present at the statue, but declined to comment on when they arrived on the scene. However, RVA Mag spoke to Joe Macenka, the public information officer for the Capitol Police – who patrol and manage the security of state property, including the statue of Lee.  Macenka said the department was notified shortly after 6 a.m., and the incident likely took place in-between one of their patrols. While not commenting on the particulars of the investigation, he said they were following a “number of angles.”

Capitol Police Inspecting the Damage

RVA Mag also spoke with an employee for the Department of General Services who was present at the scene to oversee the cleaning crew, who said he was called at 7:30 a.m. alerting him to what happened. At 9:30 a.m. the cleaning crew had not started power washing the statue, saying they were still waiting for the investigators to arrive.

Richmond’s Confederate statues are vandalized frequently, with Jefferson Davis being spray painted twice in the past year. This comes at a time of contentious conversation surrounding the role of Confederate statues in public spaces and the finalization of a report by Richmond’s Monument Ave Commission, which recommended that Davis’ statue be removed.

The Capitol Police reached out to RVA Mag at 1:30 p.m. to suggest that the paint used to vandalize the statue came from a “high pressured sprayer” or a refillable fire extinguisher. 

White Nationalist Richard Spencer Leads Torchlit Rally at Emancipation Park in Charlottesville

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*This is a developing story. 

White nationalist Richard Spencer just led another torchlit rally at Emancipation Park in Charlottesville. Spencer, who is one of the most recognizable faces of the alt-right and white nationalist movement held a similar rally in May to protest the removal of a statue glorifying Confederate General Robert E. Lee. According to posts being circulated on Twitter and Facebook, around two dozen young white men gathered at the feet of the statue which remains shrouded due to events surrounding Unite the Right in August. Unite the Right was the largest gathering of white nationalists and supremacists in decades, which left one counter-protestor dead in a domestic terror attack.

Spencer’s group was recorded chanting, “You will not replace us”. This was the same chant used by white nationalists and supremacist who stormed University of Virginia’s campus in another torchlit procession the Friday before Unite the Right this past August. Torchlit rallies have become a signature hallmark of these groups, and is a visible symbol meant to intimidate and threaten those who do not support their supremacist ideology.

Richard Spencer Twitter Feed

In another video of the incident retweeted by Spencer, he can be seen speaking to the crowd saying, “We are here to represent white America’s interests.” He eventually finishing by saying, “The left wing establishment is built around anti-white policies and anti-white rhetoric…we are a people with interests and we are a people who will not be replaced.” The group of white supremacists was also apparently recorded chanting, “the south will rise again” and “Russia is our friend”. According to information circulating on social media, Spencer and his cohort left about 45 minutes after showing up on the scene. No arrests or injuries have been reported.

*Cover photo by CBS19 News – Charlottesville Newsplex

Black Lives Matter New York Headed to Richmond for Saturday’s Rally at Lee Monument

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*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

Rally planned by Tennessee group to protect Lee monument in Richmond

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*This story has just been updated. 

According to a Facebook event page sponsored by CSA II: The New Confederate States of America, a rally is being planned on September 16 to “protect” the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Ave. A previous rally was planned by the Virginia Flaggers on the same date, but was later cancelled due to public pressure on the organizers.

From the CSA II Facebook Event Page

The event, billed as a ‘heritage not hate’ rally contends, “CSA II: The New Confederate States of America…and fellow supporting individuals / organizations will be standing up to protect the General Robert E. Lee Monument in Richmond, Virginia from being taken down or destroyed.” The details section goes on to say, “We hope you will come out and support our efforts and stand tall for our Proud Confederate Monuments. This rally is a Heritage ~ Not Hate Rally and any Hate will NOT be stood for on our side whatsoever.”

This comes on the heels of an executive order signed by Governor Terry McAuliffe on August 18, which prohibits all forms of protest at the Lee monument in Richmond. McAuliffe claims the order is necessary until emergency measures can be implemented that can manage protests with the potential to end violently. The decision to ban protests at Lee monument in Richmond was in response to the violence of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville on August 12, which left one person dead and up to 30 wounded in a terrorist attack by a white supremacist. According to the executive order, the ban will “remain in full force and effect until such emergency regulations are promulgated by the Department of General Services by November 18, 2017.”

The group hosting the rally, CSA II: The New Confederate States of America, looks to be based out of Dandridge, Tennessee and claims to be “The Official Provisional Governmental Organization of the New Confederacy, protecting our Proud Southern Heritage, The Confederate Flag, our rights and values, and our way of life.” While the organization’s webpage claims to be veteran ran and explicitly states, “We are not a hate organization nor will it be tolerated in any way!!!,” Confederate symbols have become a national flashpoint for white nationalist, supremacist, and alt-right groups looking to grow their message.

From the CSA II Facebook Event Page

This rally, if happens, will come at a critical time for the city of Richmond. More so, because the city is still grappling with the direction of Mayor Stoney’s Monument Avenue Commission and recent comments signaling his willingness to consider a plan for removal of Confederate Statues.

*Updated

In response to the planned rally by CSA II: The New Confederate States of America, Community of Richmond (CORVA) has scheduled a RVA No-Hate Counter Protest. According to the event page, CORVA has stated, “The CSA is planning on holding a demonstration on the 16th to “protect” the Lee monument.” The event listing closed with, “We can only expect the same violent extremists that were at Charlottesville to be in our city. We need to organize to protect our community, neighbors and minorities against this ideology of hate and oppression.”