Protesters for and against the Confederate monuments largely kept things peaceful. (Alex Woodward)
The removal of Confederate monuments in New Orleans continues to stir unrest as white supremacists recently went face to face with opposing protesters over the change.
At the Sunday, May 7 event, The Advocate reported about 500 protestors who were with Take ‘Em Down NOLA, a group advocating for the removal of the controversial monuments, arrived at Lee Circle where the three remaining statues are situated. They were met by less than 100 white supremacists donning helmets, body armor and wielding clubs and Confederate flags and were not from New Orleans.
Clear divisions have developed since the removal of The Liberty Place monument in April, with the other white supremacist monuments, statues of Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and P.G.T. Beauregard and Confederate States of America President Jefferson Davis scheduled for removal at an undisclosed later date.
“It’s a part of our heritage and we want it to stay,” Michael Hill, president of The League of the South, told WWL. “We push our ideas and if people don’t like our ideas and want to attack us, we’ll defend ourselves. Most of our guys are military and law enforcement, so we know how to do that. We’re out here for a peaceful afternoon of exercising our rights.”
Angela Kinlaw of Take ‘Em Down NOLA also advocated for a nonviolent encounter.
“It is imperative that we be one voice, one sound,” she said to The Advocate. “That we not try to convince anyone along this journey of anything. No need to argue what you know is right.”
But things did get heated, with arguments bubbling up where the n-word was hurled.
White supremacists in New Orleans right now protecting Confederate monuments & calling Black people n**gers (while being protected by cops) pic.twitter.com/G38IXkbPxP
— Tariq Nasheed 🇺🇸 (@tariqnasheed) May 8, 2017
Two fights also erupted before the arrival of the anti-monument protesters but were suppressed by police. WWL reported three people were arrested for disturbing the peace, but the event ultimately ended calmly.
Photo from Lee Circle: Another fight breaks out, NOPD quickly quells pic.twitter.com/iclv7F2eIA
— Michael DeMocker (@MichaelDeMocker) May 7, 2017
