White nationalists return to Charlottesville for brief torch-lit rally

About three dozen people bearing tiki torches assembled in Emancipation Park at the base of the Robert E. Lee statue, chanting “you will not replace us” and “we will be back,” before dispersing 20 minutes later.

Among the participants was alt-right figure Richard Spencer, who dubbed the gathering “Charlottesville 3.0” in a video posted to Twitter and encouraged similar events in the future.

Charlottesville Mayor Mike Signer condemned the demonstration in a tweet in which he told the “neo-Nazi cowards” they were not welcome in the city and warned that his office was looking into “legal options.”

Police were on the scene, but there were no reports of violence or arrests. However, on Friday three University of Virginia students were arrested and face charges after they interrupted a bicentennial celebration by displaying a banner that read, “200 years of white supremacy.” The University of Virginia is located in Charlottesville.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe tweeted that he was monitoring the situation Saturday.

The latest gathering follows two similar demonstrations in Charlottesville over the past several months. The first was in May. The second one, the “Unite the Right” rally, took place in August and one woman died and scores more were injured when white supremacists and allies, who were protesting the removal of the Lee statue, clashed with counter-protesters. Two Virginia state policemen were also killed when the helicopter they were on crashed while they were responding to the protests.

President Trump invited controversy when reacted to the violent clashes in August, saying there was “blame on both sides.” The event also sparked a fresh wave of demonstrations and calls for the removal of Confederate memorials around the country.

The Lee statue, along with another of Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, are currently covered in black tarps, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.