The Great Smoky Mountain Journal
Staff Reports
Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 11:24 AM
No White Supremacist Groups Come To Fort Sanders As Thousands Rally Over Monument; One Arrested
Knoxville police said 2,800 showed shut down 17th street to support the removal of the monument, while an estimated 35-40 demonstrators rallied for it to stay.
"It stands for our country," Ms. Fielden said. "It's part of our history."
On the other side, Hans Goertz said, "We've already fought this battle before against white supremacy, prejudice, and it's not okay."
Opinions on all sides of a Fort Sanders monument were heard Saturday whether for, or against. It was put up by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1914 as a memorial to the Confederate soldiers lives lost in the Battle of Fort Sanders.
A heavy police presence took over a 6-block area early Saturday morning, keeping both sides apart at the height of the rally.
Chants could be heard starting around noon, at times getting heated. Some call the monument a show of white supremacy.
Katy Beth said, "these statues are just
participation trophies, which is something millennials are told to be
ashamed of."
"It reminds us of a dark past that we had that we overcame," Timothy
Miles said on the other side.
The monument took the spotlight a couple weeks ago, with a petition
asking Mayor Madeline Rogero to remove it from Knoxville's streets.
Within 24 hours, more than a thousand signatures were gathered.
It didn't take long for a petition to keep the monument to gain 2,000
signatures in the same time.
Just down the street from the controversy, a bible verse hanging outside
a house. "We feel drawn to support one side or the other but end of the
day, we all feel that it's in the Lord's hands and he's going to win the
ultimate battle," Addie Davis, the resident, said. "We're all equal and
we're supportive of that."
Officials said only one person was arrested at Saturday's rally for not
cooperating. They said she had a mason jar and wouldn't put it down when
asked by police.
