In the wake of violence at a white nationalist demonstration in Virgina, at least two rallies urging Utahns to stand together against racism and hate are slated for Monday in Salt Lake City.

White supremacists, neo-Nazis and Ku Klux Klan who were in Charlottesville, Va., to protest the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue fought with counterdemonstrators on Saturday. One woman was killed when a car drove into the crowd, and two state troopers deployed in the police response died when their helicopter crashed.



The Utah Republican Party and Salt Lake County Republican Party have scheduled a rally for 5:30 p.m. Monday at the State Capitol. Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox and U.S. Rep. Mia Love are speaking, according to a flyer about the event, billed as a rally for unity.

In a tweet announcing the rally, the county GOP said, "Racism has no place in our communities.”

Not in our nation. Not in our state. Not in our counties. Not in our cities. Racism has no place in our communities.#utpol pic.twitter.com/0G83I8PusS — Salt Lake County GOP (@slcogop) August 13, 2017

Love called the violence and hatred in Virginia “repulsive.”

“This is not who we are as a nation,” she tweeted Saturday. ”We must be united against this bigotry.”

The Utah League of Native American Voters plans to gather at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 451 S. State St. A dozen people are scheduled to speak at the solidarity rally, including the league’s Moroni Benally; Damon Harris, of Utah Against Police Brutality; Troy Williams, Utah Equality; and Darlene McDonald, Utah Women of Color Council.

Benally pointed out that a few days before the white supremacist rally in Virginia, racist signs were posted at the Univerity of Utah. The signs included the saying “Blood and Soil,” a Nazi propaganda phrase implying genocide, he said.

“This same phrase was used at the rally in Charlottesville, Va.,” Benally said. “It led many students of color to feel unsafe on campus. The distribution of such hatred is intolerable.”

Text on the poster said “Stop the blacks” and listed unverified crime statistics, along with a link to a website containing a manifesto written by a white nationalist group called Vanguard America. Vanguard Utah confirmed that the posters found at the U. are associated with it.

James Alex Fields Jr., the alleged driver who mowed down Charlottesville protestors, had been photographed Saturday wearing Vangaurd America’s unofficial uniform and holding a black shield that features a common Vanguard symbol, according to The Washington Post.

A Vanguard America spokesman has denied any connection with Fields.

Carol Surveyor, of Peaceful Advocates for Native Dialogue and Organizing Support (PANDOS), who is scheduled to speak at the league’s rally, said racial intimidation has no place in Utah and the nation.