The Great Smoky Mountain Journal
Staff Reports
Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 11:24 AM
Sources: White Supremacist Groups Efforts To Protest In Knoxville Fall Apart, Likely Will Not Happen Saturday
Despite this new information, the City of Knoxville and Knoxville police are keeping their security plans in place in order to protect the public.
Officials still believe several hundred protesters against a Confederate monument in Fort Sanders will come out Saturday.
Many large institutions are nearby, including East Tennessee Children's Hospital and Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. Many University of Tennessee students also live in the area.
Both nearby hospitals said they have security teams to help direct visitors for parking. Fort Sanders said they will have restricted access to the building.
The university has also been in touch with students and has told them to be aware of their surroundings.
The UT Police Department is nearby, off Cumberland Avenue. They said there's a plan in place for any developing situations on campus Saturday.
Students also received an alert from Chancellor Beverley Davenport Thursday. She said in part, "I'm asking you, as you hear these opinions and you hear these differences, and as you come here to begin to learn, open your hearts as well as open your minds."
The Tyson House Episcopal and Lutheran Campus Ministry plans to open its doors Saturday as a safe place for students and the public.