Protesters against Sons of Confederate Veterans conference turn against police

What started out as a protest against a Sons of Confederate Veterans annual conference at the Embassy Suites near Brier Creek turned into a protest against police Saturday afternoon.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans, or SCV, has held the Stephen D. Lee Institute annually since 2003. During the conference, members hear lectures about the Civil War, the Confederacy and Southern history, The News & Observer previously reported. This year’s event was expected to host 50 to 60 SCV members.

“It’s just an opportunity to get together and have some conversations and dialogue about the War Between the States and that aspect of American history,” SCV organizer Chris Sullivan said in a phone interview with The News & Observer.

Smash Racism Raleigh, a group that says it speaks out against hate and racism, led the protest, attended by about 50 people. Their goal was to make sure members of the SCV “know their hate is not welcome” in North Carolina, the Facebook event’s description says.

The group planned to march to the Embassy Suites. Members demanded an explanation for why the owners of the hotel, Winwood Hospitality Group, were hosting the conference, but they were hindered by a heavy police presence, said Skye McCollum, one of the group’s founders.

“We ask them to not give them the platform to speak hatred,” McCollum said. “Racism is rooted in their (SCV members’) very cause,” she said in a previous phone interview.

Winwood Hospitality Group declined to comment.

McCollum, an N.C. State junior studying political science and French, said the group organized the protest after seeing the writings of some of the listed speakers, The N&O previously reported.

Three police motorcycles and more than ten police cars were positioned around the Embassy Suites. They blocked off several lots close to the hotel, forcing protesters to park further away. This was done to hinder protesters, McCollum said. Police say the lots are private property.

The Raleigh Police Department watch commander said the police presence was there to “make sure nothing happened.” Nobody was arrested.

Police asked protesters to keep their distance from the property and keep off the road. Protesters listened, but began chanting “black lives matter, blue lives don’t.”

One protester got face-to-face with an officer and chanted loudly, “Cops and klan go hand in hand.”

Protesters were unable to get close to the Embassy Suites.

“We’re happy that there is all this support for us and we could stand up against hate,” McCollum said. “But we’re disappointed we couldn’t do more because of the police presence.”

Sons of Confederate Veterans

SCV members are male descendents of Confederates, The N&O previously reported.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans is not classified as a hate group, according to The Southern Poverty Law Center. It is considered a “heritage” group.

SCV opposed the removal of the Silent Sam Confederate monument at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and was awarded custody, along with millions of dollars, through a settlement in December. But the settlement was reversed in February, returning the statue to UNC.

Sullivan said racism is not allowed within the SCV.

Police did not allow media and protesters to enter Embassy Suites.

This story was originally published February 29, 2020 at 5:34 PM with the headline "Protesters against Sons of Confederate Veterans conference turn against police."