LEXINGTON — White nationalists are planning to do “flash rallies” in defense of a Confederate statue in Lexington to avoid counter-protestors, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported this week.
From the Herald-Leader:
Matthew Heimbach, chairman of a white nationalist group called the Traditionalist Worker Party, told the Herald-Leader last week that his group and others were planning a rally in Lexington to oppose the removal of statues in downtown Lexington. When asked this week whether he had picked a date for the event, though, Heimbach said it probably will be a “flash demo.”
He confirmed that that meant an event with no public announcement of the time or place.
“As long as we don’t block the street, we should be OK,” Heimbach said.
He said an alliance of several white nationalist groups called the Nationalist Front would carry out the demonstration.
Heimbach didn’t provide other details.
The lack of announcement is to avoid large counter-protests like those in Charlottesville, Va., earlier this month.
City spokeswoman Susan Straub told the newspaper the city had not been contacted by any groups wanting to come in and has been monitoring social media. Lexington Police Chief Mark Barnard said the city has a plan if white nationalists come to and encouraged the public not to stage counter-protests in the same location.
“Don’t give any time to people that promote hate,” Barnard told the city council this week.
Lexington was one of the first cities to announce they would remove Confederate statues after the violence in Charlottesville.
