Members of the Ku Klux Klan held a protest in Charlottesville, Virginia over the planned removal of Robert E. Lee statue faced over 1,000 counter protestors. There were about 50 members of the KKK present and one Klansman stood out for his hairstyle. The man was wearing dreadlocks. Seriously. A hairstyle that is rooted in African and Caribbean culture. This is Trump’s America.
The photograph was captured by University of Virginia alum DeVante Cunnigham and has quickly gone viral. The Klansman refused to engage with him. DeVante spoke with the BBC and explained how he couldn’t believe the irony of it all, “Me and my friend were in total disbelief. We really couldn’t believe we had just seen a Klansman with dreads. We’re looking at the KKK here, and dreadlocks are basically a symbol of African culture.” He added, “It was really weird to see.”
Weird indeed, as social media chimed in at the satirical situation:
While this hairstyle display might be ironic, yet amusing, the protest not as much. The police were on hand and helped escort the KKK through the counterprotest crowd. Things were relatively peaceful with a few scuffles breaking out. The crowd attempted to block the Klan from entering and leaving Justice Park. Some protestors tried to block Klan members vehicles and the police then declared the gathering an “unlawful assembly.”
The crowd neglected to listen to the instructions of state police to disperse, so the police retaliated with throwing three teargas canisters into the crowd.
See all of DeVante’s photos from the rally, here.
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