UNC officials are planning for a possible rally at Silent Sam this evening.

The Confederate monument on the UNC campus has been at the center of the local debate regarding memorials to the Confederacy since the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, earlier this month that resulted in the death of a counter protester.

UNC Chancellor Carol Folt wrote in a letter to the campus community on Monday evening that the university was aware of the “possible rally” that was being promoted by “groups not affiliated with Carolina.”

Folt continued, “we understand the strong desire of some members of our community to participate in a protest calling for the removal of the Confederate monument.”

Some members of the campus community “have expressed concerns about their safety on and around the campus during such events,” according to the correspondence.

While Folt wrote that UNC “aspires to be a place where we can discuss and express our differences and still come together in a peaceful manner,” she added that the outside groups promoting the rally may be “more interested in promoting discord and violence to advance their own agendas than engaging in a constructive and peaceful protest.”

Carolina officials are not legally allowed to remove Silent Sam from the campus without approval from the state, according to a law passed by the Republican-led legislature and signed by then-Governor Pat McCrory in 2015. Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger wrote Folt last week asking that she take the steps to move toward removing the statue. Hemminger wrote that the university had the authority to move Silent Sam because of a provision of the law that would allow for the action in order to protect the monument.

Multiple outlets also reported Monday night that Governor Roy Cooper wrote in correspondence with UNC System and UNC – Chapel Hill administrators that the university had the authority to move the monument if it is posing a risk to public safety.

Folt wrote on Monday:

“We are always concerned about safety on the campus and if we had the ability to immediately move the statue in the interest of public safety, we would. However, while we will continue to explore all options, the University currently does not have that unilateral authority or legal ability to do so. And the University must obey the law.

We are working closely with the UNC General Administration and the State of North Carolina to look for solutions. In the meantime, as we have done in the past, UNC Police, augmented by other law enforcement agencies, will take strong measures to help ensure that events such as the one planned for Tuesday evening take place in a safe environment.”

Regarding the possible rally Tuesday night, Folt wrote that due to the possibility of a “confrontation with outside groups,” she was encouraging students “not to attend the rally.”

Monday’s letter was signed by Folt, vice chancellor for student affairs Winston Crisp and UNC Chief of Police Jeff McCracken.

Photo via Will Arrington at Silent Sam protest following Charlottesville, Virginia, white supremacist rally.

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