An anti-hate rally will be held Friday from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Kanawha Plaza between Seventh and Ninth streets near the downtown expressway, in response to an Imperial Klans of America and Ku Klux Klan rally to be held next week.
The anti-hate rally has an event listing on the social networking Web site, Facebook and already has 106 confirmed guests, 39 of whom are a part of the VCU network.
The Facebook event’s creator is Meredith Clark, who belongs to the Virginia Tech Alumni group for 2004. She stated on the Web site, “This is appalling and should not be tolerated. I invite you all to organize with us to hold an anti rally. We will organize as a peaceful, non-violent, anti-hate, anti-ignorance group. It is our goal to show the country that Richmond does not run on these outdated ideologies any longer.”
Comments posted on the Facebook event wall range from full support of the anti-hate rally to skeptisim about drawing media attention to the IKA and KKK rallies.
“It seems like organizing a counter rally adds that much more attention to the KKK rally,” Sarah Moore of the James Madison network stated.
However, many attending the rally, including Ana Edwards of the Richmond network, stated it is important to oppose hate rallies.
“You can’t let a KKK rally go unchallenged. If it brings attention to their rally and we are there, then it brings attention to their opposition as well.”