In the news
- New York Times, 5 injured at Klan protest, May 10 1998
The fence around City Hall had been erected by city officials hoping to avoid the kind of violence that erupted after a 1996 Klan rally. About 250 counter-demonstrators tore down part of the fence and threw rocks and bottles, breaking eight windows in City Hall. About 35 Klan members rallied for about 90 minutes, playing music and making speeches. Several times they shouted white power and raised their hands in the Klan salute.
Mayor Sheldon acknowledge the hard work of City staff during Saturday's KKK rally and anti-Klan rally, and expressed appreciation to those who organized the unity rally at Wheeler Park and to members of the community who demonstrated their opposition to the Klan in a peaceful manner.
The police (who were working with us) would keep the KKK safely cooped up under the city hall overhang, so we mainly had to deal with the Revolutionary Workers League (acting here under the name NWROC), whose stated goal was to "shut down the Klan by any means necessary." Their leaders seemed determined to start a riot while they themselves would hang back and let their supporters be bashed over the head by police.
