Between 400 and 500 demonstrators gathered at the Augusta County Courthouse in Staunton. A permit was issued by the county, but city police who patrol the adjacent streets were caught off guard.
“We didn’t know a lot about it ahead of time, and we didn’t know it was going to get as big as it was going to get,” explains Chief Jim Williams.
He says only three or four officers were available to police the crowd, and having learned about the protest on Facebook, they didn’t expect violence.
But some demonstrators were alarmed when a guy in a white pick-up truck issued several blasts of diesel fumes – a tactic used against political and environmental protesters elsewhere. It’s called rolling coal, and it’s illegal in eleven states, including Texas, but not in Virginia.
Chris Graham is editor of the Augusta Free Press. He had gone to cover the event and recalls the scene.
“There was black smoke going everywhere. He had two people in the vehicle with him who were leaning out of the truck, yelling. The driver was revving the engine pretty loud.... The young man driving the truck barreled past us. As soon as they got through the intersection the police cruiser flashed blue lights, pulled them over a couple of blocks later.”
Police gave the driver a warning, but he passed through the intersection twice more. So did a man who displayed a gun while sitting in his truck.
“Several people who were at the rally could see that he had a gun in his hand," reporter Chris Graham said. "He didn’t point it at anyone, from what I’m told, but was clearly agitated, kind of muttering to himself. He slammed his hat into his seat, and then the light turned green and he drove off.”
But he, too, was let off with a warning.
“It didn’t rise to criminal brandishing a firearm, and folks who witnessed it were not interested in pursuing charges," says the chief of police. He adds that the department tries to learn from every experience and may close the streets if future protests are planned at that location.
“We didn’t, obviously, think that this was going to be the kind of event that was similar to Unite the Right or anything like that or we would have put together a much more comprehensive plan.”
He vowed to be better prepared for future protests and said officers are sworn to protect the constitutional right to free speech and assembly.
“We protected the KKK when they came to town. We marched with Black Lives Matter – protecting them. We’re not picking sides. Under the U.S. Constitution you have a right to say things, and you have a right to assemble and you have a right to protest, and we believe strongly in letting them do that.”
But when officers are vastly outnumbered, he says, citizens must take some responsibility for their own safety.
“We can’t guarantee every citizen protection. Your welfare is largely depending on you.”
He also noted the cost for police protection would likely rise if more demonstrations are planned.
