White nationalist: Removing Lexington's Confederate statues is 'an act of genocide'

Indiana white nationalist Matt Heimbach said if Lexington's plan to remove its Confederate statues succeeds, there could be a demonstration in Kentucky similar to what took place over the weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia. 

"I don't think it would be the exact same as Charlottesville, but it could be," Heimbach told the Courier-Journal. "If the removal goes forward, well then, of course, we will accelerate our public rally."

Heimbach, who was present at the violent "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville last weekend, said no date has been set for the proposed Lexington rally, but said his group is looking at legal options to block the removal of the statues. He said the removal of the statues is an "act of genocide" against whites.

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Following the violent rally in Virginia over the weekend that left three dead and 35 injured, Lexington Mayor Jim Gray said the city would work to remove its Confederate statues depicting John Hunt Morgan and John C. Breckinridge.

The removal motion prompted 26-year-old Heimbach, the chairman of the Traditionalist Worker Party, a white nationalist hate group, to plan a demonstration, forcing Lexington officials to prep for the worst.

The city's police agency has asked Louisville Metro police and state and federal agencies for backup.

"We've been in consultation with state police and Louisville Metro police and we're prepared, if they're coming here, that they have all agreed to give us resources and personnel here in Lexington," Police Chief Mark Barnard said in a public video on Facebook. 

Lexington police spokeswoman Breanna Angel said they have not received a permit or intelligence tips from other agencies about the potential event. Angel said Chief Barnard reached out to LMPD Chief Steve Conrad to provide additional gear and officers if the event occurs. 

"We have assured Chief Barnard we are willing to assist if the need arises, according to what resources we have available, and which are deemed appropriate to commit," said John Bradley, LMPD public information commander.

In Charlottesville, Heimbach's group was present, in part, to protest the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue. 

"That removal is a dehumanization process," Heimbach said. "There is a genocidal campaign not only against the Southern people but against Europeans around the world."

Heimbach is no stranger to rallies. Last year he was accused of physically harassing a woman during a March 2016 rally in Louisville for presidential candidate Donald Trump.

He screamed and yelled at Trump protester Kashiya Nwanguma and pushed her repeatedly to make her leave the Kentucky International Convention Center where the rally was taking place.

Background:Heimbach pleads not guilty to harassment charge at Trump rally

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He was charged with harassment with physical contact and initially entered a not guilty plea. Last month, however, he entered an Alford plea, which allows the defendant to plead guilty while maintaining their innocence. 

Heimbach agreed to the maximum penalty of a 90-day jail sentence as part of his July 19 guilty plea to disorderly conduct. The jail time was conditionally discharged.

"One of the conditions of his plea is that he has no new violations," said Josh Abner, a spokesman for the Jefferson County Attorney's Office. "If our office were to learn of credible, admissible evidence that showed Mr. Heimbach had engaged in new criminal conduct then we could consider a motion to revoke his parole."

Heimbach ordered his followers to push down the metal police barricades that cut the Charlottesville park into separate zones, reported the Indy Star. He was not cited nor arrested during the violence, however, and said he isn't worried about getting into any violent trouble because of the armed veterans that surround him during rallies. 

"There's always a chance with a 90-day sentence," Heimbach said. "That's why the Traditionalist Workers Party has security details. The likelihood of me being mixed up in things isn't very high ... being the chairman, ya know."

Lexington's City Council voted unanimously Tuesday evening to removes the two Confederate statues Tuesday. In a statement, Mayor Gray said he hopes an event like Charlottesville won't happen in his city.

"If they were to come to Lexington, we'd plan to have an overwhelming amount of law enforcement to greet them," Barnard said. 

Reach reporter Thomas Novelly at 502-582-4465 or by email at tnovelly@courier-journal.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly.