Several protesters were arrested after clashing with police, but a widely publicized rally by the KKK in Charlottesville ended without violence. Hundreds of protestors gathered to greet about 50 members of the Klan who arrived nearly an hour late and had to be escorted by police to a small fenced area under an old oak tree.
They stood near a statue of Robert E. Lee that the city plans to remove. The Klansmen complained that doing so would "erase history," denying the honor they feel should be accorded Confederate leaders.
The KKK had warned that its members would be armed, but no weapons were in evidence. Instead, they stood waving Confederate flags, Klan banners and hand-lettered signs proclaiming their white supremacist views.
Protesters chanted, "Klan Go Home," and "Black Lives Matter," booing loudly as the group arrived and cheering wildly as they left after about half an hour.
About 100 police from the city, county and state kept protesters away from the Klan members, some sporting traditional white robes and hoods.