Dueling groups rally at UNC after removal of more monuments

Dozens of people from pro-Confederacy and anti-racism groups started demonstrating at noon near the former site of Silent Sam.

There was a lot of noise as the protests moved through campus and down the streets of Chapel Hill.

One group wrapped themselves in the Confederate flag and talked about history and heritage.

"I am here to stop the cultural genocide of the south," a pro-Confederate rallier who asked to be identified only as Mike said. "The south was fighting for the second revolution, the second American Revolution, some of the finest men in the country."

Some, on megaphones, repeated stories of slavery and discrimination.

"When the vast majority of people start actively speaking up and say this kind of racism is not acceptable in our society, they will fade into the background," protestor David Freeman said. "What will really make a difference is when people start caring"

As a public entity subject to the First Amendment, the university does not require or grant permits for groups to assemble on campus.

On Friday, citing public safety, the Town of Chapel Hill removed two monuments from Franklin Street, including one that was posted in tribute to Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

The marker for Davis had been joined by a plaque added recently by civic activists to recognize the suffering of a black woman who was referenced in a 1913 speech by Julian Carr, a prominent, local man and avowed white supremacist whose name adorns a building on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Both markers were located just inches away from Franklin Street before they were removed by police.

"The presence of both markers has resulted in an ongoing threat to public safety in our downtown as opposing groups – including some from out of town – continue to plan protests and other actions in downtown and on campus," Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger said. "For this reason, both markers have been removed and will be offered to their rightful owners."

Local activists told WRAL News that they are not happy with the town's reasoning.

They said the Jefferson Davis marker was racist and they wanted that to be the reason it was removed.

"The town's failure to acknowledge the racist origins of the marker continues to be a problem," said Annie Simpson, one of the designers of the other marker that paid tribute to the black woman. It was put in place a week ago, activists said.

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The North Carolina Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans also weighed into the matter.

"You can remove all the memorials and markers you want, but you can not change history," the group said in a statement. "Our history is being rewritten to exclude our ancestors for political reasons and has to stop. Evil gains power by suppressing the truth and misleading the innocent."

A spokesman for Chapel Hill police said the markers will be returned to their owners but town officials said they don't know who owns the Davis marker, which was placed on the street in the early 1920s.

Activists have been calling for removal of the Davis marker for some time.

"I think what's missing in this discussion is the actual public safety issue, which is the Confederate groups, the hate groups, who have been coming onto campus and who threaten the safety and well being of community members in Chapel Hill and on campus," said one advocate, who was in favor of the removing the Davis marker.

Last August, activists opposed to the "Silent Sam" statue, which symbolized support for the Confederacy, was toppled during a late-night protest.

"I did what I thought was best, and I'm at peace with that," she said.