The Great Smoky Mountain Journal
Staff, Wire Reports
Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 06:36 PM
White Nationalists Rally Planned Saturday Cancelled In Shelbyville, Murfressboro
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (SOURCE: WIRE, WVLT,
CBS)-- A group of white nationalists from the League of the South held a
White Lives Matter rally in Shelbyville but later canceled the
demonstration in Murfreesboro Saturday.
The League of the South was one of several groups that marched in the
August 2017 protest in Charlottesville, Virginia that ended in violence,
according to WTVF News Channel 5, Local 8 News' CBS affiliate in
Nashville.
Chris Conte ✔@chrisconte
More of what it looks like in Murfreesboro right now. Very calm. White
lives matter protestors have yet to materialize
Those with the group cited multiple reasons, including the length of
time it took to get through security in Shelbyville, and they also
mentioned Murfreesboro not being worth the risk, according to News
Channel 5.
After announcing the group was sending demonstrators to Shelbyville, a
counter protest was organized.
News Channel 5 reported voices were raised as the two groups started
getting into place.
Follow
Chris Conte @NC5_ChrisConte
We've got our first confrontation between counter protestors and white
nationalists @NC5
Although authorities said the protest in Shelbyville ended without
violence, one man was arrest for disorderly conduct when he jumped over
a barrier.
The other WLM rally was supposed to take place in the Murfreesboro
Public Square from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
News Channel 5 reported the area was shut down to both vehicle and
pedestrian traffic Saturday morning after law enforcement swept the area
for safety.
Several large trucks were used as road blocks to keep any rogue vehicles
from driving into the crowd.
Everyone attending either rally was being searched for weapons and
masks.
Senator Lamar Alexander expressed his views on the rallies on Twitter.
My statement on the white nationalist rallies in Murfreesboro and
Shelbyville: pic.twitter.com/mTN0wDvsi0
— Sen. Lamar Alexander (@SenAlexander) October 28, 2017