White Lives Matter group protests outside NAACP in Houston's Third Ward

White Lives Matter protested in front of the NAACP office in Third Ward on Sunday. White Lives Matter protested in front of the NAACP office in Third Ward on Sunday. Photo: Darla Guillen/Houston Chronicle Photo: Darla Guillen/Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 21 Caption Close White Lives Matter group protests outside NAACP in Houston's Third Ward 1 / 21 Back to Gallery

The Confederate flag waved in front of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's (NAACP) Houston office Sunday. The red flag with its blue X holding white stars hung over the shoulder of a White Lives Matter member who was joined by others in his group in a protest against the NAACP.

"We came out here to protest against the NAACP and their failure in speaking out against the atrocities that organizations like Black Lives Matter and other pro-black organizations have caused the attack and killing of white police officers, the burning down of cities and things of that nature," White Lives Matter member Ken Reed said.

The protest drew much attention as people took photos of the group which held assault rifles and white supremacist signs on the Third Ward block.

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"We're not out here to instigate or start any problems," Reed said. "Obviously we're exercising our Second Amendment rights but that's because we have to defend ourselves."

Though area residents agreed with the message of equality that, at times, was shouted from the bull horn, some were taken aback by the Confederate flags and the presence of firearms.

One member of the White Lives Matter group held a sign with the slogan "14 words" on it. The phrase "14 words" is a popular white supremacist slogan: "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children."

"That's a bold statement," resident Quintina Richardson said. "You come into their home, front door, and say 'hey!' You've got some nerve."

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"The Conferderate flag throws me off," Richardson said. "You're saying Black Lives Matter is a racist organization but when you're throwing the Confederate flag up and saying White Lives Matter, are you saying you're racist?"

Reed said the flags were being flown as a symbol of Southern heritage.

"It has nothing to do with racism on our part," Reed said. "We're proud to be Southern. It has all to do about heritage, nothing to do with hate."

At one point, an African-American man walked up to the barricade and began asking the White Lives Matters crowd questions.

"But you understand more white people are well fed than anybody else," he told the crowd.

A White Lives Matter member responded, "Statistically," before being led away by Reed. "They're trying to ruin it," Reed told him.

Police began clearing out the crowd of roughly 20 White Lives Matters supporters at 3:30 p.m., but some residents lingered. Some said that they were angry the protest was happening in the Third Ward, which is a predominantly black neighborhood.

"You going to arrest me now? Do we come to your neighborhoods? We've got no guns out here," one neighborhood resident said to police. Others joined in, listing off recent officer-involved shootings that have resulted in the deaths of African-Americans.

The last crowd to disperse was a group of African-American and white people joined in prayer. They held hands in the parking lot of Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church, which faces the NAACP building.

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Supporters from both sides took to social media to share their thoughts.

NAACP Houston's director Yolanda Smith's son, Andre Smith, posted an image on Instagram to share that the protest and counter-protest happened on his mother's birthday.

"Little did they know the executive director of this particular branch birthday was today, which so happens to be my mom," he captioned the photo. "So we spent the day celebrating a black life that did matter and will continue to do great work at this place you protest! Thank you and try again! #blacklivesmatter #NAACP"

"We know y'all matter we just wanna matter too," another Twitter user posted.

Sunday's Houston rally comes almost a month after a similar protest in Buffalo, N.Y.