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 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.
Authorities Say Stay Away from KKK Rally in Charlottesville
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