The Mount Airy News

Pro-Confederacy march planned in Dobson

First Posted: 12:51 am - September 19th, 2015 - 494 Views

DOBSON — At a time when symbols associated with Southern pride are under attack, a March of the Confederacy is planned next Saturday in Dobson.

“We just thought it was time to take a stand,” said Joe Davis of a group called Southern Cross, which is organizing the event.

Participants are scheduled to gather at 1:30 p.m. at Surry Community College and begin the march at 2 p.m., which will end at the old Surry County Courthouse. Prayer and special remarks about veterans are planned at a Confederate monument on the courthouse grounds.

The public is invited to take part and Davis is hoping for a big crowd showing its support, “just some strength in numbers,” he said.

Davis, 51, described the March of the Confederacy as a peaceful demonstration to reaffirm basic rights of free expression and speech he believes are being threatened by recent actions triggered by the June shooting deaths at a church in Charleston, South Carolina.

That act led to the Confederate flag being removed from the South Carolina state house grounds in Columbia, and a chain-reaction of other moves aimed at eliminating public displays of that banner.

This has produced a backlash by Southern heritage supporters. On Thursday, more than 20 students at Christiansburg High School in Virginia were suspended after wearing Confederate flag shirts to campus.

Davis said he is troubled by the trend that started with targeting the Confederate battle flag.

“What’s going to be next — the American flag, our right to free speech?”

This sparked plans for the Sept. 26 march.

“The main reason we decided to do it is they keep taking away our rights one by one,” Davis added, “and trying to infringe on our rights, and so many of our American soldiers have died to protect those rights.” This includes every U.S. conflict from the Revolutionary War forward, he said.

Davis stressed that next Saturday’s march will be peaceful, with no protest signs or other items allowed which could be deemed as inflammatory. Visual displays will be limited to Confederate flags, American flags and Christian flags.

“We will conduct ourselves in a Southern manner,” Davis said of marchers.

They will proceed along one lane of South Main Street up to the old courthouse, where a section of West Atkins Street will be closed off to accommodate the gathering.

Davis said a horse-drawn wagon with a casket will be part of the march along with a sound system.

Town’s blessing

Dobson officials say a standard demonstration permit was approved for the event.

“I don’t see any problems whatsoever with it,” Police Chief Shawn Myers said.

This includes no need for large numbers of law enforcement personnel to monitor the proceedings. “I’m just planning on two officers,” Myers said.

There will be only minor traffic disruptions, for intersection crossing, and marchers largely will adhere to the sidewalk from the community college to the old courthouse, Town Manager Josh Smith said.

“Pretty much a peaceful walk down Main Street, that kind of thing,” Smith said.

Davis said the Southern Cross group was formed last winter.

“We’re a small motor vehicle club,” he explained.

Davis mentioned that ride for pride events have been held recently to highlight the Confederate flag, but the local group wanted to be different. “So we decided to do a march instead of just riding by.”

He said Southern Cross also is an advocate for other causes.

“We fight for people’s rights when they can’t do so themselves,” Davis said, “because it’s the Southern thing to do and the right thing to do.”

Tom Joyce may be reached at 336-415-4693