Protesters Cancel Second 'White Lives Matter' Rally

A “White Lives Matter” rally that was to take place on Saturday in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, [...]

By Tania Hussain

A "White Lives Matter" rally that was to take place on Saturday in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, attended by white supremacists and neo-Nazis from across the U.S., has officially been cancelled.

Up Next: Pharrell Takes a Knee at Charlottesville Unity Concert

The state braced for potential violence between white supremacist groups and counter-protesters with fear that the events would trigger chaos similar to what was seen in Charlottesville, Virginia just three months ago.

However, the rally was officially cancelled after Hunter Wallace, a public relations chief for the League of the South called the rally was a "lawsuit trap" and "not worth the risk."

The Washington Post reports rally organizers had anticipated about 175 people, while Tennessee's racial justice and liberal groups were not entirely clear how many of their members would attend. But it paid off.

Eventually, an estimated 300 people attended the rally, with a mere 100 or so "White Lives Matter" attendees, but twice as many counter-protesters. Police had formed lines between the groups all morning, setting up barricades to keep the two separated.

Social media users took to Twitter to share some images and video of the hate-inciting rally.

Gov. Bill Haslam told The Tennessean, "If you're part of the white supremacist movement, you're not somebody that we want in Tennessee."

More: Johnny Cash's Children Speak out After T-Shirt Spotted on Charlottesville Protester

The Washington Post further reports organizers of the hate-spewing event included "the Nationalist Socialist Movement, a neo-Nazi group; the Traditionalist Worker Party, which wants a separate white ethno-state; Anti-Communist Action, a right-wing group that is under the impression America is being threatened by communists; and Vanguard America, a white supremacist group that believes America is inherently a white nation that must be preserved."

Local residents prepared their opposition for roughly two weeks, holding vigils and prayer services, while practicing their chants of love.

Photo credit: Twitter / @RalphBaergen

0comments
Start the Conversation

of