By ANDREA LANNOM
The Register-Herald
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — On the Kanawha River side of the Capitol, a group gathered around the Stonewall Jackson statue for the Free Speech Rally.
Two rallies took place Sunday at the Capitol. More than 400 people attended what Capitol Police said proved to be a peaceful event for the Black Lives Matter rally. Another rally, the Free Speech Rally, took place on the Kanawha River side of the Capitol.
People at the Free Speech Rally who were interviewed Sunday evening said their purpose for the rally was not to protest or counter protest but was to support First Amendment rights. Some participants also mentioned a concern with taking down the Stonewall Jackson statue.
Larry Rogers, a Logan County resident, said he was there to support First Amendment rights for everyone.
“We are here for the First Amendment rights of everybody, not just Black Lives Matter but every group that peacefully protests. I firmly believe in the First Amendment and Second Amendment. We’re here to protect people’s rights to speak. Black Lives Matter, that’s great as long as they’re peaceful and don’t hurt anyone.”
Barry Holstein, of Charleston, said he wasn’t there to protest or counter protest but was there to make sure the Stonewall Jackson statue was not taken down.
“If the people of this state go through their legislators and then decide to take it down lawfully, that’s one thing, but today, it’s not coming down,” he said.
Both Holstein and Rogers said they didn’t want the statue coming down because they felt that leaving it up preserves history.
“I think it’s there from a historical perspective. If you read the side of the statue, it says this is here in memory of Confederate soldiers who lost their lives. It’s there as a marker of that part of our history. It was a bad part of our country’s history but it is what it is and we should remember that and reflect on that and honor those who stepped up and did what they thought was right. It’s very hard to look at things today that happened in the past through today’s lenses.”
Rogers agreed.
“It’s a part of history we can learn from,” he said.
On the other side of the street were about 12 people with the Ohio Valley Minuteman. They carried a banner that said, “No socialism, no racism, free speech for all.”
One of them, who only identified himself by his call sign as “Sandman” because of a concern about having personal information exposed online, said he was part of the free speech rally to support everyone’s First Amendment right including Black Lives Matter. He said the group had to stay on the other side of the road because police didn’t allow weapons on Capitol grounds.
“For us to be here today is reaffirmation of three things that are most important to us,” he said. “Family — because we live here, we’re locals — community and the Constitution. The First Amendment guarantees all of us to assemble peacefully and speak freely, whether it offends someone or not. So, we’re here to make sure no one causes trouble for people who are trying to express on either side. We are a neutral third party.”
He said he wanted to extend a hand to the people attending the Black Lives Matter rally.
“For me, it’s important to extend a hand to the Black Lives Matter folks and let them know that constitutional militia groups are not the enemy,” he said. “We are not the bad guys. We are not neo-Nazis or racists or homophobes. We are just regular working people who believe in taking care of ourselves and our families and community. We do that primarily by promoting the Constitution and the law of the lands.”
See more from The Register-Herald
