'March To End White Supremacy' Sparks Isolated Protests En Route To Washington (ICYMI)

Despite blistered feet and the occasional detractor yelling at them, activists are taking part in a unique, segmented march from Charlottesville's Emancipation Park to Washington, D.C., with one purpose made clear by the event's name: "The March to End White Supremacy." Organized in part by the activist group "Solidarity Charlottesville," the event's Facebook page says 835 people have signed up for the march, some of whom participate in one or two of the event's 10 legs, with 50 people walking the entire 118-mile route.

"We are marching from Charlottesville to Washington DC to demonstrate our commitment to confronting white supremacy wherever it is found," organizers say in a statement. "It's clear that we can no longer wait for Donald Trump or any elected official to face reality and lead. We are coming together to reckon with America’s long history of white supremacy, so that we can begin to heal the wounds of our nation." (For more local news, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts. Also, like us on Facebook, and if you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

They hold banners, they chant, they sing and they smile all the while — even when marching in the rain. Based on daily videos and updates posted to the event's Facebook page since the first leg of the march on Aug. 28, there appear to be few, if any, angry marchers. Activist-actor Mark Ruffalo joined the march a couple of days ago.

Ruffalo said that he and the other marchers wanted to honor Heather Heyer, who died when an alleged white supremacist drove into a crowd of protesters in Charlottesville. Residents need to face their fears and speak out in order to help the United States fully become the country everyone wants it to be, he said.

They're being escorted by the Virginia State Police for their "safety and to minimize the impact on traffic," chief VSP spokesman Corinne Geller said in an email Thursday. "No significant problems have been reported or arrests made."

As it is, some passing vehicles honk in support. Some don't. Was that a middle finger?

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There was, however, something of a hiccup Wednesday. The march from Ruckersville to Madison ended a few miles short when organizers said they received threats of an armed person waiting for them at their designated finish area.

"The decision to end the march early yesterday was one made with the safety and well-being of all those marching with us in mind," they said in a statement. "This threat is a clear example of why we need more people to stand with us in the fight against white supremacy and hatred."

The march leaves Warrenton Sunday morning and heads into Gainesville, an area where Confederate pride runs deep, as evidenced by Manassas National Battlefield Park. But police believe most of the neo-Nazis and Klu Klux Klan sympathizers who fomented violence nearly three weeks ago in Charlottesville (ostensibly to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee) came from out of state. Prince William County Police spokesman Nathan Probus said his department will provide mutual aid as requested by Virginia State Police.

Once the day's marching is done, the participants spend the night at each destination. Many stay in area churches, and others simply get a hotel room. That's also an opportunity for those who view the march dimly to make their thoughts known to the participants, as a woman did to one of the female marchers outside a convenience store Wednesday in Madison, per the Facebook page.

"You're a troublemaker," she said. "You're not a peacemaker, you're a troublemaker. You go put your feet up. I hope they're sore and got blisters when you get where you're going."

Where they're going, ultimately, is the U.S. Capitol by Sept 6. A rally is planned, and some participants say they may take part in a sit-in.

Said marcher Mohammed Naeem with a determined smile a couple of day ago, also per the Facebook page: "It's raining, it's challenging, but we're marching. The weather, the administration, nobody can stop us."

Here's where the marchers have been and where they're headed:

• Monday, Aug. 28: Emancipation Park, Charlottesville to Krogers — 3 miles
• Tuesday, Aug. 29: Commonwealth to Ruckersville — 13 miles
• Wednesday, Aug. 30: Ruckersville to Madison — 12 miles
• Thursday, Aug. 31: Madison to Culpeper — 18 miles
• Friday, Sept. 1: Culpeper to Remington — 12 miles
• Saturday, Sept. 2: Remington to Warrenton — 13 miles
• Sunday, Sept. 3: Warrenton to Gainesville — 12 miles
• Monday, Sept. 4: Gainesville to Centreville — 13 miles
• Tuesday, Sept. 5: Centreville to Merrifield — 11 miles
• Wednesday, Sept. 6: Merrifield to Washington, D.C. — 11 miles

Photos courtesy of Rogue Photo