San Francisco Braces For Right-Wing Rally

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — San Francisco Police and other law enforcement agencies are gearing-up for a planned right-wing rally and possible counter protest at Crissy Field later this month.

The right-wing group Patriot Prayer has been granted a permit for a rally on Saturday, Aug. 26 from 2 to 5 p.m., according to National Park Service spokeswoman Sonja Hanson.

"By law we have to grant First Amendment permits," Hanson said.

Patriot Prayer has been described as an "alt-right" group by hate group watchdog the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The event has been dubbed, "Free Speech, Unity and Peace San Francisco."

The group, organized by Joey Gibson, also held an event in Seattle on Sunday, only a day after a rally by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia ended with a car driven into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing one woman and sending dozens of others to the hospital.

Gibson has disavowed that attack in public statements.

Counter-protests are expected at the San Francisco rally, and Hanson said National Park Service Officials and U.S. Park police are working with city police and fire officials to develop plans to maintain security.

"The park enforces a peaceful and safe First Amendment event, so if that changes it will be canceled and everyone turned away," Hanson said.

San Francisco police said security plans for the event are "still in the planning stages," but confirmed they would be taking the recent events in Charlottesville into account.

"We always have to look at these things, whether they be local or national or foreign," Officer Robert Rueca said.

— Bay City News contributed to this report; Image via Video Screenshot

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