****UPDATE: Durham authorities began reopening roads to traffic just after 3:30 Friday afternoon.****

Social media rumors began circulating Friday morning that white supremacists and members of the KKK were planning to hold a rally in downtown Durham, where a Confederate monument was pulled down by protesters earlier in the week.

That has led to hundreds of anti-KKK protesters to take to the streets in downtown Durham.

Reports from the scene say that the large crowd is made up entirely of the protesters and there has been no sign of any organized white supremacist rally.

While more rumors were being pushed that a permit had been granted for a KKK rally at four o’clock Friday afternoon, the City of Durham’s twitter account relayed the message that no permit had been issued.

Several local businesses and government buildings downtown closed early due to the anticipated protest and counter protest. This is following a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, last weekend that resulted in the death of 32-year-old Heather Heyer when an alleged white supremacist drove his car into a large crowd of counter protesters. More than a dozen others were injured.

Durham Police are asking motorists to avoid the downtown area. Authorities say several roadways have been closed off in the downtown area due to the large number of protesters.

The Durham Sheriff’s Office is asking that social media users wait on verified information before sharing rumors that spread unfounded reports.

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein released the following statement on the protest:

People are peacefully protesting in support of equality and justice. Like them, I believe that racism adn white supremacy are wrong. We have more work to do to live up to the ideal of equality, and I join those who are committed to making this ideal a reality for all Americans.

This story will be updated with more information as it is made available.

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