US: Confederate groups plan rally in Richmond (Virginia) August 19

Event

Two Confederate groups are planning a rally in Richmond (Virginia) on Sunday, August 19, from noon to 16:00 (local time) at the site of a Confederate monument near the Museum District. The two groups are protesting a commissioned report that recommended that the city remove a statue honoring Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy. A spokeswoman for one group estimates that 50 to 75 people will attend the event. Counter-protests in the area are possible and police may close portions of the road near the intersection of Monument Boulevard and North Boulevard. Another protest is planned for Saturday, September 15, from 10:00 to 16:00.

Context

This is the third such protest in Richmond since September 2017. In the two previous occasions, counter-protesters vastly outnumbered the pro-Confederate attendees, who numbered between six and 15. The rally also comes in the wake of larger far-right protests in Washington, DC, and the one-year anniversary of a Charlottesville rally in which a counter-protester was killed and several others wounded.

Advice

Individuals in Richmond should avoid any public gatherings and anticipate possible road closures in the vicinity of the rally.