Update: On Tuesday, Jim Nolan, spokesperson for Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney’s office said that they believe rally organizer Bragdon Bowling had withdrawn a permit for the Sept. 16 rally. Concerning Bowling’s decision, Nolan said that Mayor Stoney “believes Mr. Bowling made a sensible decision.”
A permit for a rally at a Confederate Monument in Richmond is under state review, according to Capitol Police.
According to Dena Potter, communication director for Virginia’s Department of General Services, the permit was submitted on behalf of Americans for Richmond Monument Preservation.
“As we would with any permit request,” Potter said. “We are gathering information about the proposed event, meeting with the applicant to discuss rules and guidelines, and meeting with our law enforcement partners to make sure that the safety of the participants and public property remains the priority.”
The rally has been described online as “a huge showing of patriotic Southerners to make a statement to Mayor Stoney, the commission, and the entire city of Richmond.”
The Aug. 7 post claims that Save Southern Heritage, a group that “a voluntary association of individuals who revere the South, Southern history and Southern heritage,” had acquired a permit for the rally, though Capitol Police told WYDaily that the permit in question was “under review.”
The website, which appears to be run by The Virginia Flaggers, proclaims that “the Capital of the Confederacy is shaping up to be the next battle ground.”
“As we reported earlier, Richmond Mayor Lamar Stoney has appointed a commission to ‘study’ Confederate monuments on Richmond’s famed Monument Avenue,” the website reads. “In his press conference to announce his intentions, the Mayor regurgitated the false narrative as has been circulated by groups such as the ANTIFA anarchists, SPLC, and NAACP, and that which was used by the liberals in Charlottesville in their crusade to destroy the Confederate monuments there.”
Slated for Sept. 16, the Lee Monument Rally would fall just weeks after violence erupted in Charlottesville after thousands of protesters rallied in the city during a “Unite the Right” event, resulting in one death and 19 injuries.
Referencing the removal of Confederate monuments in cities like New Orleans, the post said that the group would “use all available resources to prevent it from happening” in Richmond.
“Good people, North and South of the Mason-Dixon line are sick and tired of officals [sic] pandering to a small, but very vocal and violent percentage of the population,” the website reads.
Jim Nolan, spokesperson from Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, declined to comment, directing questions to Capitol Police. A request for comment from Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s office was unanswered before publication.
Send news tips to Poulter at amy@localvoicemedia.com
This article was published in partnership with WYDaily’s sister publication, Southside Daily.
