A panel exploring the symbolism and ideology of Confederate monuments hosted in Chatham County saw pro-Confederate groups rally in protest against the panel on Saturday.

The event, titled The Civil War Today, was sponsored by Chatham for All and Abundance NC with the goal of reflecting on the controversy surrounding Confederate monuments about their removals in the region. Four university professors, Dr. W. Fitzhuge Brundage and Dr. William Sturkey from UNC and Dr. Joseph T. Glatthaar and Dr. Thavolia Glymph from Duke, met to lead an education talk about the history of such monuments and how the purposes behind their erection challenge family histories.

But outside the Chatham County Agricultural & Conference Center in Pittsboro, where the panel was held, people gathered to show their support of the Confederacy and its ideals. Instead of attending the free panel, a group outside the center’s entrance raised and displayed flags supporting the Confederacy, the League of the South and President Donald Trump. Reports say the group chanted “Trump 2020” and yelled slurs.

The Agricultural & Conference Center is also an early voting site in Chatham County, which was open Saturday as the panel and protest were both happening. According to county officials, however, awareness of the protest ahead of time led to measures being taken to increase security on site.

“While early voting took place simultaneously in a different area of the building, there were no issues with voters accessing the site or completing the voting process,” said Chatham County Manager Dan LaMontagne in a statement. “No other early voting site in Chatham County experienced any issues. It is of utmost importance to Chatham County leaders that all residents feel safe and welcome to vote at any of our polling sites during the early voting period and on Election Day.”

The panel and protests came just days after an Orange County judge overturned a settlement between the UNC System and a pro-Confederate group regarding the controversial Confederate monument Silent Sam. A Confederate statue in front of the historic Chatham County courthouse was also recently removed in November, as the Board of County Commissioners voted to return the statue to the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

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