A line of vehicles rolled down Franklin Street Thursday night heading toward the location where the Confederate monument known as Silent Sam has stood on the UNC – Chapel Hill campus for more than 100 years. At least one motorist announced their arrival with a burst from the Dixie horn of their small red pickup truck.
Silent Sam rally on August 30, 2018. Photo via Blake Hodge.
The group, Alamance County Taking Back Alamance County, was traveling from Orange County’s neighbor to the west to attend what they described as a “twilight service” in honor of Silent Sam – the Confederate monument that was pulled down from its pedestal by protesters last week.
A heavy police presence was on the scene and several layers of barricades were surrounding the remaining base of Silent Sam on the university campus Thursday night. Law enforcement officers and equipment from varying agencies from the Triangle to the Triad were present for the rally.
In addition to the ACTBAC event, those opposed to Silent Sam organized a dance party to begin just before the scheduled vigil.
Members of the ACTBAC group drove down Franklin Street and were escorted by authorities into the Morehead Planetarium parking lot, which had been reserved for the group. From there, law enforcement escorted ACTBAC supporters – estimates ranged from 50 to 70 individuals – into the series of barriers, resembling a corral. Police used bicycles to form mobile barriers. Those ACTBAC supporters were substantially outnumbered Thursday night, with opponents circling the barriers and chanting while the Silent Sam supporters held up Confederate flags and signs supporting Confederate monuments.
Silent Sam rally on August 30, 2018. Photo via Blake Hodge.
Altha Cravey is a professor at UNC who was critical of the escort police gave to the Silent Sam supporters.
“I think this public space, this public university, belongs to all of us in North Carolina,” Cravey said during Thursday’s rally. “It doesn’t belong to a group of violent, extremist haters. Whatever brand they are for the moment: whether they’re Nazis or neo-Confederates or what they are.”
ACTBAC has been categorized as a hate group in the past by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Police escorted the group away from the barricades and back into the Morehead Planetarium parking lot after roughly an hour and a half in the barriers. Opponents chanted at the Silent Sam supporters throughout the night.
Officer with pepper spray canister at Silent Sam rally on August 30, 2018. Photo via Blake Hodge.
Police deployed pepper fogger for the first time as the ACTBAC group was being escorted to their vehicles. Silent Sam opponents scattered from the site, covering their mouths and coughing.
After the group returned to McCorkle Place, the protesters turned their attention toward chanting at the police officers.
Several near scuffles occurred and police moved in. On one occasion, three individuals were taken into custody, and pepper fogger was used for a second time.
Two of those arrested Thursday night were charged with affray and the third was charged with resisting an officer. That brings the total number of those charged to 14 over the course of three rallies since last Monday.
When authorities attempted to transport those arrested from Morehead Planetarium, protesters attempted to block their path. The protesters were moved by law enforcement and the van was able to leave the area.
The crowd ultimately dispersed after 11 o’clock Thursday night.
UNC – Chapel Hill is considering the future of Silent Sam. The UNC System Board of Governors gave the campus until mid-November to present a plan for the future of the monument to the board.
WCHL news director Blake Hodge was on the scene as pepper spray was deployed by police. Click to listen to his live report (pepper spray was dispersed at 1:10):
