Pikeville braces for white-power rally; university tells students to leave for the weekend

• Unversity of Pikeville suggests students get out of town for the weekend.
• State senator says white power groups don't reflect Pike County or eastern Kentucky.
• Group claims Republicans and Democrats have left people behind.

Pikeville is bracing for potential violence on Saturday and taking steps to avoid it as white-power groups plan a political rally downtown.

The concern is that white-supremacists of the Traditionalist Workers Party, which is organizing events in the area this weekend, will clash with counter-protesting anti-fascist groups. 

Among the unusual steps being taken:

• City officials have banned the wearing of masks that could conceal protesters' identities.
• The University of Pikeville is shutting down, its administrators telling students to stay away from downtown or better yet, get out of town for "the safest option."
• A counter event - the Rally for Equality for American Values - has been canceled, with organizers saying they plan to reschedule it for another day.
• Kentucky Office of Homeland Security has been coordinating with local and state police and city officials to assess the threat.

"This should not be a reflection on the people of Pikeville or eastern Kentucky," said state Sen. Ray Jones, who represents the area. "These people are coming from outside the region."

Sadly, he said, people should avoid downtown Pikeville on Saturday just to be safe.

Some downtown businesses are closing, and Main Street will be closed for part of Saturday, said Pikeville City Manager Donovan Blackburn. Other local events have also been canceled, he added.

A substantial police force will be deployed between designated protest and counter protest zones and in any crowds, he added.

"I don't know if one person will show up or 1,000 people will show up," he said, adding that he supports the University of Pikeville's decision to recommend people avoid downtown or leave town.

At the same time, he said the city intends to allow people to exercise their First Amendment rights to free expression, as long as it's done in a lawful manner.

>More: White power groups target poor, white counties

Christian Tyler Marcum, one of the organizers of the canceled Rally for Equality, provided a written statement: "While we understand any disappointment and share in it ourselves, our original goal of a safe, family-friendly celebration of equality and American values is no longer possible at this time. We look forward to seeing everyone at the rescheduled event."

University of Pikeville President Burton Webb posted a cautionary letter to the parents of university students. He wrote that "several reputable sources" consider the Traditionalist Workers Party to be a "Neo-Nazi organization that has a strongly racist platform."

He further wrote that at least two other groups are planning to come to Pikeville, those calling themselves Anti-Racist Action and Anti-Fascist Action. "These two groups are vehemently opposed to the TWP, but their tendency to incite violence causes me grave concern," he said.

"The people who are apt to be participating in the protest and rally feed off of controversy and confrontation," said Mike Sunseri, deputy director of the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security. "The best thing that people can do is not engage with these folks."

He said the city of Pikeville is taking the law enforcement lead, with support from the Kentucky State Police. The Kentucky National Guard has been briefed on the situation, he added.

He praised Pikeville for banning masks or hoods. Wearing them has been a tactic used by the counter-protesters in other areas, he said.

Southern Indiana's Matthew Heimbach, chairman of the white-power Traditionalist Worker Party, said Friday that his group won't be covering their faces. "Our mission is to be here and to be a force for the people. We are part of the region."

He said his group has been communicating with Pikeville authorities "to be sure all sides are safe and all sides are able to express themselves."

The National Socialist Movement is also coming to Pikeville, according to its website, after hearing "the cries of the thousands of families in Pike County
and the surrounding region who have been hurt by globalist trade policies, an
increasingly destructive drug problem, and a lack of response by the Republican and
Democratic establishment to the needs of working families, the youth, and small
business owners."

The Southern Poverty Law Center, which follows hate groups across the country, describes the National Socialist Movement as one that "specializes in theatrical and provocative protests ... (and) is one of the largest and most prominent neo-Nazi groups in the United States."

The law center described the Traditionalist Workers Party as "a white nationalist group that advocates for racially pure nations and communities and blames Jews for many of the world’s problems" and is allied with neo-Nazi organizations.

Those groups' events were moved from nearby Jenny Wiley State Park to an undisclosed private property.

"Jenny Wiley will be open as usual this weekend," said state parks spokesman Gil Lawson. "Parks will take steps to make sure our guests and staff members are safe."

Reach reporter James Bruggers at 502-582-4645 and at jbruggers@courier-journal.com.