Hot Springs, AR — Dumpsters surround a monument of a Confederate soldier in a sprawling garden. Members of pro-Confederacy groups and other right-wing extremist groups mill around dressed in Confederacy period clothing or yellow shirts, waving Confederate and Christian flags.
The group explains that they barricaded the statue with dumpsters to protect it from being taken down by racial justice activists, something that recently occurred in Durham, North Carolina. This marks the 29th pro-Confederate rally that the Confederate Square Group has organized.
The main organizers of the rally, James del Brock and Billy Sessions, have claimed that they intend a peaceful demonstration. However, some of the pro-Confederate protesters publicly stated that they would be armed and urged people to “use their second amendment rights”, a statement that has caused locals and counter-protesters to fear that violence may erupt.
Known as a popular tourist spot within Arkansas, the city of Hot Springs recently saw the removal of the Confederate flag from its town hall. The flag, and now the Confederate statue, attracted criticism from both local residents and out-of-town Arkansans for its use as a racist symbol and its association to America’s history of slavery. Some feared that its presence might even hurt tourism in the area.
Police watch as counter-protesters face harassment
“The police were apathetic.”
Hundreds of counter-protesters from across the state, mostly from Little Rock and Hot Springs, maintained a presence at the rally. The counter-protest included a diverse array of nonprofit organizations and coalitions, including LGBTQ and racial justice organizations, leftist groups, democratic political groups, and community resistance groups.
“I just wanted there to be a presence of people that don’t tolerate racism. Which ultimately, no matter how anyone wants to spin it, is what they stand for,” said one of the counter-protesters.
Some counter-protesters interviewed for this article chose to remain anonymous, stating that they want to avoid being “doxxed” by supporters of the rally (a term that refers to exposing someone’s personal information online, usually by using their names or images).
Other counter-protesters confirmed this, stating that members of the Confederate rally attempted to photograph them without permission and entered the counter-protesters permit area to watch them and even verbally harass them.
“I have visual confirmation from some of our people that at any given time, some of their members would change clothes and come down to spy on us,” he said. “One white male teen in a MAGA (Make America Great Again) hat and a white woman with long blonde hair and a nice camera with a long distance lens were in the area the entire time staring at us. I’m pretty sure they were there to dox us.”
Opposition to the rally has been high on both a local and state level. Counter-protesters outnumbered rally-goers by almost three-to-one, with hundreds of protesters hailing from a multitude of organizations across Arkansas. The pro-Confederate rally benefited from a large police presence — in addition to local police, state park rangers were also stationed in the area. However, many counter-protesters state that they had a much different experience with law enforcement.
“We were clearly threatened with arrest if we engaged with the white supremacists, whereas their people infiltrated our permit area, verbally assaulted us, and were allowed to walk right through our permit area. Our people were extremely compliant with the police […] I saw a lot of teamwork and love in our group in order to be as effective as possible.” — Micah, a counter-protester at the rally
Other counter-protesters corroborated this account, stating that they witnessed members of the Confederate rally purposefully trying to incite violence to get counter-protesters arrested, despite previous claims of a peaceful rally. The police, they stated, were unhelpful and “seemed apathetic”.
At one point, a car slowed down near the counter-protesters while the driver hurled slurs and white-supremacist slogans at the crowd. Carmen, a college student and community activist who attended the counter-protest, said the police did nothing about the hate incident.
“A car passed some of the counter-protesters and the driver started yelling at them. He was calling them ‘freaks’ and ‘queers’ and screaming ‘white lives matter’ and other stuff,” she said.
In spite of these incidents, it appears that law enforcement were more concerned with arresting counter-protesters for minor violations.
Photo by Brian Chilson from the Arkansas Times. A counter-protester was arrested for “flag-burning” after law enforcement mistook a bandanna for a flag. According to witnesses, the bandanna was never seen burning.
“I watched two very unlawful arrests of our people. It was extremely sad,” Micah remembers. Witnesses recount that the individuals who were arrested were not violating any laws. Some were arrested for allegedly blocking the sidewalk and jaywalking.
“The cops are part of the layers of white supremacy…I’m not surprised,” says Micah.
Increasing white extremist activity
More than ever, communities are seeking ways to respond to a spike in neo-nationalist and white supremacist movements.
This rally comes shortly after thousands of white nationalists and right-wing extremists gathered at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville to protest the removal of a Confederate monument, causing the death of a counter-protester and countless injuries.
In response, local communities and organizations called for the removal of Arlington Lawn’s own Confederate monument. The monument has a gruesome history dating back to the early 1900s, with two separate lynchings of black men taking place there.
“During the early 20th century, Hot Springs twice erupted into the kind of violence that has its roots in issues left unresolved by the Civil War, and both times, it happened right where that monument to Confederate soldiers stands today. Will Norman, a black man, was murdered there on June 19, 1913.”
Other communities in Arkansas are also showing solidarity with the victims at Charlottesville by calling for their own local Confederate monuments to be removed. One example is Bentonville, where a petition to remove the monument is circulating — as well as a petition to oppose it.
“The creator of the Flag of the Confederate States of America, William Thompson, said, ‘as a people, we are fighting to maintain the Heaven-ordained supremacy of the white man over the inferior or colored race […] Such a flag […] would soon take rank among the proudest ensigns of the nations, and be hailed by the civilized world as the white man’s flag’”.
— Excerpt from petition to remove Confederate flags from downtown Hot Springs, quoting the creator of the flag as an example.
Photo taken by Brian Chilson from the Arkansas Times. Pictured is James del Brock, one of the organizers of the Confederate rally and a member of the “Hiwaymen”, a group that may be associated with armed, far-right militias.
Though the Confederate Square Group denies any association with white nationalists and white supremacists, members of white extremist groups allegedly made a presence at the rally. Witnesses state that when pro-Confederate protesters crossed into their permit area, they passed out flyers with known white supremacist symbols (including the Celtic cross). These flyers used the phrase “White Lives Matter” and warned readers of “Black on White Violence”.
A group of members from “the Hiwaymen”, displaying hand-signs associated with far-right, armed militias such as the “III% Security Force”.
Many of these individuals wore yellow shirts and identified themselves as “the Hiwaymen”, a far-right political group that is strongly speculated to be a white supremacist organization.
In addition to the flyers, “the Hiwaymen” have been spotted in public photos using hand signs that have been associated with the white nationalist “alt-right”. However, the Southern Poverty Law Center originally attributes these hand signs to the “III% Security Force”, a loose coalition of right-wing extremist militias in the southern U.S. that has been categorized as an anti-Muslim hate group by many organizations, including SPLC.
“They can say whatever [they want] about their ideology. At the end of the day, the ‘patriot’ group Hiwaymen and the Confederate Square Group were there to protect the monuments and memory of the CSA (Confederate States of America)— a literal slave empire,” says counter-protester Arya Gilson.
One of the organizers of the pro-Confederate rally, Billy Sessions, seems to espouse much of the same extremist rhetoric and conspiracy theories that the “III% Security Force” does. Sessions recently made an unverified claim that the counter-protesters were being paid by organizations to protest, a conspiracy theory that is popular among other far-right extremists.
Billy Sessions in a shirt that reads “senator Harry Reid called me a domestic terrorist.” These individuals are holding up the “III%” militia hand sign, with three fingers out to represent three percent.
“They will put out Craigslist ads offering anywhere from $15 to $30 an hour — I’ve seen — [they] pay these people to get on buses and come up to your hometown and tear things up,” Sessions said. He has not yet provided evidence for this claim.
“It’s funny because Sessions mentions Redneck Revolt, BLM (Black Lives Matter), the Black Panthers, etc, when none of those organizations have the means to pay protesters,” says Arya Gilson in response to the interview. “ Everyone who was there was there of their own volition.”
Recommended Organizations & Fundraisers
Where to find resources and opportunities to help communities
Black Lives Matter Little Rock — The Little Rock chapter of the national #BlackLivesMatter movement, a racial justice organization that was formed in response to high rates of police violence targeting the black community
With fall classes just beginning, many of us find ourselves struck with summer withdrawals. Especially for those who refrained from taking courses over the summer, it can be quite difficult to get back in the swing of things. Fortunately, there are various ways to help make the transition back to college as smooth as possible.
Get Organized
By now, instructors are posting their syllabi and laying out the direction of their respective courses. One of the most helpful things to do is invest in a day planner and write in all important due dates, test dates, and other relevant information so that everything is easily accessible in one spot. Alternatively, keeping a Google calendar updated with all of this information makes the calendar easily accessible from virtually anywhere with an internet connection on a computer, tablet, or smartphone.
Another way to ensure success is to make a list of all the supplies necessary for the start of the school year and hit the last minute back-to-school sales. As college students, we are always looking for ways to save: time, money, energy. Planning out the essentials for the coming year and doing some quick research to find the best deals makes starting the fall semester much easier. Most importantly, don’t be bashful; ask about discounts for college students. Sometimes, even the most unexpected things come at a less expensive price for college students.
Get Healthy
No doubt much of the summer was spent partying, eating, and probably getting very little sleep. Now that school is back in session, it is time to get things in check once again. A healthy body fuels a healthy mind. Eating right and exercising regularly help manage stress, increase attention span and ability to focus, and overall leave the body feeling good. It is important schedule in time to exercise each week, as staying active increases blood flow to the brain, aiding in many of its functions including memory and information processing. It is also important to make sure to get enough sleep. Seven to eight hours per night is ideal for students, especially those taking a rigorous course load.
Take Time For Yourself
Although school, work, and social events often crowd any college student’s schedule, it is important to designate a few hours of “me time” each week. Whether lying in bed reading a book or watching Netflix, or taking a dip in the pool or an afternoon trip to the beach, making time for yourself is important during the school year. It helps manage stress and prevent the feeling of being overwhelmed and never having time to relax. College life is all about planning, and if you take action, avoiding procrastination, and stay ahead of the game, the school year should be much more manageable.
On September 3rd, 2001, a sea of children littered my home's navy-carpeted den to watch baseball during my dad's 40th birthday extravaganza. A baseball game flickered on the TV, and a red and blue bubble of a scoreboard sat in the bottom right corner of the screen. The New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies were in a wild game at Veterans' Stadium. As I, a five-year-old boy with a jumble of curly blonde hair, sat in the back of the kid clump, I wondered which team I should root for. After a long debate with myself, I decided that I should root for the team that's winning (duh). But, as the ninth inning rolled around with the Phils maintaining a 7-5 lead, some magic occurred. The Mets put up five runs in one frame, stunning the Phillie fans in the room and winning the game 10-7.
That was my first experience with the Mets. To my five-year-old self, it was as thrilling as a roller coaster. That day I was introduced to my favorite baseball team. Little did I know, this was just the beginning of the wild ride that is Mets fandom. From 2001 to 2006, the daily routine at home in Blue Bell, PA always included checking the Sports section of The New York Times, searching baseball scores for a Mets victory. It was just a regular part of my day and didn't seem like anything big, but right after my 10th birthday, things started to change.
In May of 2006, I was diagnosed with Chron's Disease. I spent seven miserable days in the hospital, with only PlayStation games and Sportscenter to keep me sane. On the 5th or 6th day, I was watching baseball highlights when it came up: a snippet of Carlos Beltran whacking a 16th inning walk-off home run into the New York night against the Phillies. All the stomachaches and blood draws of the past week faded, if only for a moment, as I watched Beltran belt that ball into the sky. In that instant, the Metsies made me happy, and their dominance and division championship in 2006 got me more excited than I'd been for anything in my life.
Sports tend to do that with me. They drive my brain like a truck into splashes of excitement and mountains of agony. The first mountain of agony popped out of my sports world about 5 months after my first stay at the hospital. The Mets had reached the National League Championship Series, and in Game 7, Carlos Beltran stepped back into the same batters' box where he smacked that May home run with a chance to send the Metsies to the World Series.
But the magic didn't happen that time. And history refused to repeat itself, as Beltran watched Strike 3 swoop by him, ending the Mets championship chances.
It was a ball. It had to be a ball. Even if it was a strike, how did Carlos not swing at that? There's no way that just happened.
Tears trickled down my face, and angry curses flew out of my mouth. I couldn't believe it. I was devastated, and I didn't even know it was about to get way worse.
In 2007, the Mets blew a seven-game division lead on the Phillies in the last two weeks of the season. Living in suburban Philadelphia, school the next day was hell. Every two years my Jewish middle school would celebrate Sukkot by going to Hershey Park. This year, every student had to wear red, and every kid wearing a Phillies shirt came up to me and just kinda laughed. After that, not even roller coasters and chocolate could cheer me up and knock down that mountain of agony.
From the next year on, the Mets drove me insane. After collapsing again in '08, the Mets consistently put up losing seasons into the next decade. It makes sense actually. Going through middle school and parts of high school were tough, and swirling that with my bumpy Chron's Disease didn't help.
But somehow, 2015 is looked a heck of a lot different.
The Mets are in first place in the N.L. East and they're finally fun again! While I was away at camp this summer, the Mets finally decided to make some big boy baseball moves, just like in 2015 they called up touted prospects and trading for Yoenis Cespedes, a monster hitter.
I think it actually makes sense that this is the year. After a challenging freshman year academically and socially, Year Two has rolled around beautifully, and I'm loving being a sophomore at Muhlenberg College. After a lonely single last year, I now have an awesome roommate. I'm taking classes that I really like and I think I might have discovered what my major is. My Chron's disease has been under control, I have a great group of friends. and for once, I have a great sense of where I'm going.
It's been fun, and once baseball season ends, I might be a little less happy with just basketball to watch.
But hopefully, I'll still be winning, just like the Mets.
If you love BTS, I'm sure you relate to one or many of them in several ways. This star test will help you learn more about which member you are most connected to.
Astrological signs tell a lot about a person. Do you ever wonder what your BTS bias star sign is? Is it the same as yours, or or are you more like one of the other amazing members? Take a look and find out what yours (and the members of Bangtan) says about you.
The aquarius sign relates to those that love to help others and fight for important causes. Hoseok is someone that is always there for the members and for ARMY. He is a warm and compassionate person by nature. Aquarius signs are able to be nonjudgemental, which Hobi has in stride. He sees the best in people, and is very forgiving. This sign also means people that are free spirits, who are very animated and easily happy. Jhope is one of the most charismatic members of BTS, he is always dancing and running around joyfully. If you share these characteristics, you are sure to be a wonderful friend that lives life positively!
Virgo's are both very mature and a kid at heart at the same time. Joon is known to be a gentle guy who loves crabs, wearing PJ's, and dancing like no one is watching. He is also very thoughtful and intellectual. When you want to find encouragement and listen to someone that is understanding, Namjoon is the person to go to. If you are a Virgo, you are certainly smart, sweet, and kind.
Libra's are one of the kindest star signs. Like our Jiminie, they always try to bring peace and harmony to any situation. They want to make people smile and laugh. When someone they care about is struggling, they will be the first to comfort them. They are very warm and will brighten your day! If you are a Libra, you definitely have the most infectious smile and the best hugs.
Capricorns are some of the best people. They tend to be silly and have a great sense of humor, just like Tae does. He is always one that wants to goof around and make every situation fun! This sign is also mysterious, and can be hard to read. While Tae is often the life of the party, he can also be serious and hides a lot of himself. Capricorns have very unique minds, and are intelligent in different ways. Taehyung is always the most unique member in BTS. Finally, this sign can be quite emotional. Our TaeTae is not afraid to show his emotions and that is a very heartwarming quality. If you are a Capricorn, you are an amazing person with a lot of layers.
Sagittarius: Kim Seokjin (22 November-21 December)
Sagittarius are extroverts who are very optimistic and enthusiastic at almost all times. ARMY knows our Jin is one of the funniest, most cheerful members of BTS. He is always telling his dad jokes and being Extra™. Jin finds his joy by making others laugh which is one of his most amazing qualities. If you are a Sagittarius, you are likely to be as hilarious and incredible as Kim Seokjin. You definitely make the world a better place!
Pisces are some of the most caring people you will ever meet. Like our Yoongi, they may have a sarcastic outer shell, but deep down they are very faithful and selfless. Pisces also love to sleep and don't always have much energy. Suga definitely fits this, as he loves to relax but finds his energy when he is with his members. Lastly, Pisces are very musical people. Min Yoongi is an amazing musician and that is one of his favorite things in the world. If you are a Pisces, you are a deeply generous and introspective person. Keep being you!
Virgo (the other side of Virgo haha): Jeon Jungkook (23 August-22 September)
Virgo's are types that are good at almost everything they do! That is a clear sign of our Jungkook. He is someone that excels at dancing, sports, and music. Virgo's are so supportive and kind, they are some of the best friends you will ever have. JK is always there for his big brothers, and gives so much love to ARMY. This sign is also a sign of faithfulness, and Jungkook is very loyal. His biggest worries are for when the other members are struggling. Virgo's are very selfless, just like Kookie. If you are a Virgo, you are surely a wonderful and hardworking person.
The car is all packed. The money you saved (and didn't spend online) from your summer internship is secured quietly in your bank account. The immediate reunion with your long-distance college friends is set. The real question on everyone's minds is: do you have the perfect melody to jam to as you journey back to school?
This is the type of playlist that will make you want to slow down, take the backroad, roll down the windows and belt out lyrics like never before. The sun is setting behind you and you can conquer anything. If your life were a movie, this would be the soundtrack that played right after you accomplished all of your hopes and dreams.
*Disclaimer: if you hate good music and smiling, this may not be for you.*
