A number of cities across the U.S. are preparing for far-right "White Lives Matter" marches taking place on April 11 which are being coordinated by extremists online.
The white supremacist rallies are being discussed on social media and encrypted messaging app Telegram, with dozens of events planned to take place at 1 p.m. in cities including New York, Fort Worth, Texas, and Chicago, Illinois.
The details surrounding the marches are minimal, with a majority not providing details such as a specific location. Many dedicated channels for marches in cities also only have a few subscribers and barely any discussion.
There is no real suggestion the marches—if they even take place—will be anywhere near as highly attended as the deadly "Unite the Right" in which thousands of neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klan members and far-right extremists took to the streets of Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017.
However, police forces in cities where an actual location has been discussed online are bracing themselves for any potential violence stemming from the event or counter-protest against it.
In North Carolina, there are two planned white supremacist marches taking place at the same time on April 11—at Nash Square in Raleigh and The Zebulon Baird Vance Monument in Asheville.
A Raleigh Police Department spokesperson told Newsweek that they are aware of the event, which has not been granted a permit, and that "personnel who are responsible for security and logistical planning consider and evaluate many factors, including events that have occurred elsewhere, as they make safety and staffing decisions."
The Asheville Police Department also told Newsweek that it is aware of the "call for action around the country" from white supremacists and will continue to monitor the movement.
In California, officials have spoken about the "White Lives Matter" march which is said to be taking place in front of the Huntington Beach Pier.
Concerns about the white supremacist event have coincided with the recent appearance of a number of KKK flyers in the city and neighboring Newport Beach, including ones promoting the April 11 rally.
In a statement, the Huntington Beach Police Department confirmed that they are taking measures to ensure public safety while "preserving the participants' ability to exercise their Constitutional rights regardless of the message or ideology.
"We hope events such as this will serve as an opportunity for unity rather than a platform to spread hate, bigotry and division," the statement added.
"The City of Huntington Beach proudly stands by the values of diversity, equity and inclusion. Toward this end, the men and women of the Huntington Beach Police Department will professionally and impartially perform their duties. I can assure you, we will not tolerate any acts of violence or criminal behavior meant to intimidate others."
The Huntington Beach City Council approved an official counter-event in Central Park on April 18 aiming to promote diversity in response to the rally. The pro-diversity event will take place one week after "White Lives Matter" so it would not "pull safety resources from downtown," on the same day, Councilwoman Natalie Moser said.
In Ohio, law enforcement said they are prepared to provide safety for a planned gathering at the Ohio Statehouse on April 11.
"Troopers will be present to keep people safe and protect the property during any protest," Ohio Highway Patrol Staff Lt. Craig Cvetan told The Statehouse News Bureau. "And we always have troopers from around the state that are prepared to respond to an incident in the interest of public safety if they should be needed."
A counter-demonstration has also been organized in Seattle, Washington, against the planned far-right rally said to be taking place that day in Westlake.
"It is no accident that they are gathering to flaunt their racist ideology during the trial of George Floyd's murderer, which is also a time of increased violence and misogyny against Asian Americans and the inhumane detention of refugee children at the border," a description on the "picket against white supremacy" Facebook page reads.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Ewan Palmer is a Newsweek News Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on US politics, domestic policy ... Read more
