08-12-2017, 10:36 AM
So, not sure how many of you are aware of the goings on in my neck of the woods, but across the mountain in my wife's hometown there has been an ongoing situation. There are several parks that have statues of Civil War generals of the Confederacy, namely R.E. Lee and Andrew "Stonewall" Jackson. The city has been having ongoing discussions about what to do with these statues and parks, regarding removal, renaming, etc. This has caused a lot of tension in the city.
This has resulted in a KKK rally in the city on 08 July that honestly should have just been left alone. The counter-protesters outnumbered the KKK members, and the end result was not good for anyone. But, since they got the attention they were looking for, they decided to make another go at it on a larger scale by planning a rally, today, in Emancipation Park, formerly Lee Park.
This has resulted in lots of issues leading up to the event. Airbnb has cancelled bookings in connection with the event. The city attempted to get the rally moved to a different park that is more out of the main thoroughfare and larger under the guise of safety and security by saying they would only approve a permit if it was moved there. Meanwhile, granting permits to counter-protesters at nearby parks. This resulted in the Rutherford Institute and the ACLU siding with the Unite the Right folks and bringing it to a legal battle. This battle was won in federal court and so the event will take place in Emancipation Park.
Side note, for anyone that tries to claim the ACLU is leftist, here is but one of many examples of the organization fighting for the civil liberties of all people.
Now, there have been a couple of events that have taken place leading up tot he rally this morning. Yesterday, there was a confrontation in a Walmart parking lot. But the bigger event yesterday was a march on the grounds of UVA last night, that erupted into violence. Having seen various videos, pictures, and hearing first hand accounts of what went on, it's a cluster ****. Plain and simple. Who threw the first punch isn't clear, but it wasn't pretty, and today isn't likely to be, either.
There hadn't been anything on here about this, but it is hitting the national news and there may be more to come since the ARNG is on standby for today's event. I just wanted to provide a local's perspective and a more comprehensive background that is based on reality and not what you might see from some outlets.
This has resulted in a KKK rally in the city on 08 July that honestly should have just been left alone. The counter-protesters outnumbered the KKK members, and the end result was not good for anyone. But, since they got the attention they were looking for, they decided to make another go at it on a larger scale by planning a rally, today, in Emancipation Park, formerly Lee Park.
This has resulted in lots of issues leading up to the event. Airbnb has cancelled bookings in connection with the event. The city attempted to get the rally moved to a different park that is more out of the main thoroughfare and larger under the guise of safety and security by saying they would only approve a permit if it was moved there. Meanwhile, granting permits to counter-protesters at nearby parks. This resulted in the Rutherford Institute and the ACLU siding with the Unite the Right folks and bringing it to a legal battle. This battle was won in federal court and so the event will take place in Emancipation Park.
Side note, for anyone that tries to claim the ACLU is leftist, here is but one of many examples of the organization fighting for the civil liberties of all people.
Now, there have been a couple of events that have taken place leading up tot he rally this morning. Yesterday, there was a confrontation in a Walmart parking lot. But the bigger event yesterday was a march on the grounds of UVA last night, that erupted into violence. Having seen various videos, pictures, and hearing first hand accounts of what went on, it's a cluster ****. Plain and simple. Who threw the first punch isn't clear, but it wasn't pretty, and today isn't likely to be, either.
There hadn't been anything on here about this, but it is hitting the national news and there may be more to come since the ARNG is on standby for today's event. I just wanted to provide a local's perspective and a more comprehensive background that is based on reality and not what you might see from some outlets.
