Tennessee faith leaders slam white supremacy rally
More than a hundred interfaith leaders in the US state of Tennessee have joined forces to condemn white supremacy rallies expected for the weekend.
In a statement, 172 clergy members said the white supremacy movement "cloaks itself with Christianity" ahead of the "White Lives Matter" rallies in two Tennessee towns.
“These organizations are founded on the principles of white ethnonationalism," the group said. "Our faiths call us to build bridges across racial and ethnic divides, not to dig deeper trenches."
The statement said white supremacist gatherings “have no other end but the promotion of white racial nationalism.”
The leaders seek to prevent a repeat of the deadly clashes that took place in August between white supremacists and counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Authorities and city officials are bracing for possible clashes when protesters and counter-protesters take to the streets. Residents who live and work near protest sites are encouraged to take caution and avoid the areas.
Many of the protesters planning to take part in the rally belong to the National Socialist Movement, the Vanguard Movement and the League of the South, which are some of the same organizations that participated in the violent Charlottesville protests.
The white nationalist rally in Charlottesville turned violent when a car plowed through a group of demonstrators, killing one counter-protester and injuring 19 others.
President Donald Trump first blamed the violence "on many sides", but under pressure, he declared that “racism is evil,” singling out white supremacists, neo-Nazis and Ku Klux Klan for the violent rally. However, the president later doubled down on his initial response.
According to recent polls, Americans believe Trump is doing more to divide the country and say hate crimes have dramatically increased since his election.
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