What you need to know about this weekend’s rallies

Two far-right rallies are planned in San Francisco and Berkeley this weekend. They come just two weeks after a violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, that left one anti-racism protester and two police officers dead.

On Wednesday, the National Park Service approved a permit for a rally led by the far-right group Patriot Prayer at Crissy Field in San Francisco on Saturday, Aug. 26.

A "No to Marxism in America" protest is scheduled for Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park in Berkeley on Sunday, Aug. 27. Organizers of both rallies have repeatedly said the rallies are not associated with white supremacists or Nazi ideology, but members of white supremacist organizations and militias that have come armed to previous far-right rallies are expected to attend both rallies.

Numerous counterprotests have been scheduled over the weekend in response. BART and Caltrain say there will be no changes to their normal weekend service because of the rallies.

A sign declaring that Sports Basement Presidio will close on Saturday is seen at the entrance to the store ahead of Saturday's Patriot Prayer rally in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017. A sign declaring that Sports Basement Presidio will close on Saturday is seen at the entrance to the store ahead of Saturday's Patriot Prayer rally in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017. Photo: Gabrielle Lurie, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Gabrielle Lurie, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 39 Caption Close What you need to know about this weekend’s rallies 1 / 39 Back to Gallery

Here's what you need to know about this weekend's Bay Area rallies. This post will be updated as more information becomes available.

Patriot Prayer

When: Saturday, Aug. 26, 2-5 p.m.

Where: Crissy Field in San Francisco

Photo: Courtesy/Golden Gate National Recreation Area The Golden Gate National Recreational Area has released this map...

Restrictions and closures: The Golden Gate National Recreation Area has banned numerous items from the event on Saturday including: weapons of any kind, bags exceeding 18″x13″x7″, bicycles, coolers, drones, helmets, explosives, selfie sticks, signs larger than 24″x36″x1/4″, sticks, grills and liquids other than factory-sealed water bottles. While people who are permitted to carry concealed weapons are normally allowed on GGNRA land, the permit governing Saturday's rally bans all weapons.

The Presidio will be divided into two zones during the rally. Zone 1, which includes Crissy Field, will be accessible only by foot via the Marina Gate at Mason and Lyon streets. No vehicles or bicycles will be allowed in Zone 1. Visitors will be screened upon entry to make sure they do not have any prohibited items.

Zone 2 includes the Presidio Main Post and surrounding area. No vehicles, bicycles or pedestrians will be allowed in Zone 2.

There will be numerous road closures inside the Presidio on Saturday.

The parking lots on the San Francisco side of the Golden Gate Bridge will be closed beginning at 9 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 25. They will remain closed, along with all visitor amenities on that side of the bridge, through Saturday. The bridge will remain open to vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian traffic.

The GGNRA also says parts of the Presidio, including many businesses within the Presidio (where Crissy Field is located), will be closed to the public on Saturday. "We strongly encourage visitors who will not be attending the Patriot Prayer event to consider coming to the Presidio on another day," said acting Golden Gate National Recreation Area General Superintendent Cicely Muldoon in a release announcing the permit.

Law enforcement presence: There will be a "strong police presence" at the event, according to a San Francisco Police Department spokeswoman. Numerous law enforcement agencies are involved in planning and protecting the event, including the United States Park Police, SFPD, the San Francisco Sheriff's Office, the California Highway Patrol and the California Office of Emergency Services. SFPD says if anyone sees something amiss, they should find a police officer or call 911, 311 or the SFPD non-emergency line at 415-553-0123.

What the organizers say about the event: Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson says the goal of the event is to "spread a message of love." The event's Facebook page says: "No extremists will be allowed in. No Nazis, Communist, KKK, Antifa, white supremacist, I.E., or white nationalists."

What elected officials say about the event: San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and other city leaders asked the National Park Service to deny Patriot Prayer the permit for the event. Now that the permit has been issued, Lee has asked people to not go to Crissy Field to protest, but instead to attend counterevents taking place at Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco (see below).

Counterevents: Numerous counterevents have been scheduled over the weekend in response to the Patriot Prayer event. The list below is not exhaustive.

— Friday: Unite Against Hate Rally at Civic Center Plaza from 12-2 p.m. hosted by the San Francisco Human Rights Commission; People's Town Hall Candlelight Vigil at Crissy Field at 7 p.m. hosted by Gays Without Borders

— Saturday: Come Together Rally and March for Equality at Harvey Milk Plaza from 2-4 p.m. hosted by various groups; Peace, Love & Understanding: A Gathering Against Hate at Civic Center from 12-5 p.m. hosted by various groups; Better Angels San Francisco at Ocean Beach from 1-4 p.m. hosted by Annette Hurst; Stop Hate Human Banner at Ocean Beach from 2-4 p.m. hosted by Together We Will San Francisco

Public transportation: The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is asking people to avoid driving around the city on Saturday because of increased congestion and limited parking. Muni service to the Presidio and Marina will not be running, in addition to other closures and reroutes (see a full list here).

Photo: Courtesy/San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency There will be several changes to Muni service in light of the...

SFMTA says there are no street closures currently planned around Civic Center, but there will be no parking on the surrounding streets and Civic Center Garage. SFPD and SFMTA personnel will be on-site directing traffic and could close streets if the need arises.

There are no planned changes to BART or Caltrain service.

No to Marxism in America

When: Sunday, Aug. 27, 1-5 p.m.

Where: Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park in Berkeley

Restrictions: No restrictions have been announced for this event, but the city is asking people to stay away from both this event and counterevents that could pull police to different locations.

Law enforcement presence: All Berkeley police officers not assigned to other patrols will be in uniform and on duty at the event. The Alameda County Sheriff's Office and other agencies will be providing support to Berkeley police.

A Berkeley police spokeswoman said that if violence occurs, people should separate themselves from the situation, get to a safe place and contact police if possible. Updates based on how the event progresses will be posted on Twitter @berkeleypolice.

What the organizers say about the event: Host Amber Cummings says the event is to protest Marxism in America. On the Facebook event page she said, "I do not invite or condone anyone showing up to this event with the intent of starting violence. I also want to add I do not stand with any racist groups like the KKK, neo-Nazis or any form of racist groups."

What elected officials say about the event: Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin is urging residents to stay away from the rally. He says he will not be at the rally because of death threats he has received since February when violence erupted before the planned appearance of right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos at UC Berkeley.

Counterevents: Multiple events have also been planned in Berkeley in opposition to the far-right rally.

— Sunday: Bay Area Rally Against Hate at the Crescent Lawn at UC Berkeley 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. hosted by Unite for Freedom from Right Wing Violence in the Bay Area; Resist Racist Violence & Hate in Berkeley at Ohlone Park from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. hosted by SURJ – Oakland/Bay Area