× Thanks for reading! Log in to continue. Enjoy more articles by logging in or creating a free account. No credit card required. Log in Sign up {{featured_button_text}}

A black nationalist leader who is representing African Americans who were victims of violence at a white nationalist rally last month is planning to investigate whether Charlottesville officials deliberately allowed fighting in and around Emancipation Park that day. He said he also plans to pursue litigation against the various white nationalist groups that participated in the Unite the Right rally, and asked for help identifying various suspects from the rally.

At a Thursday afternoon news conference at the foot of the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, Malik Z. Shabazz said black residents of the city should no longer fear violence from white supremacists.

“Your help has come — legal or otherwise,” he said. “We’re not going to let our sacred and beloved people be trampled upon, tear gassed or beaten with bats — legally or otherwise.”

“If you come with that violence again, you will meet violence. And we will put you down in this park in self-defense,” he said. “The days of the Confederacy are over.”

Shabazz said he hopes to find out whether the city is a “haven” for white supremacists and hate groups, and to look into people’s complaints about police operations that day.