The Kansas City Police Department says they will cover this weekend’s rally by neo-Nazi group, National Socialist Movement, as they would any protest or rally.
However, the KCPD released a statement this week outlining comprehensive security measures, including designated access areas to the protest site with a long list of prohibited items.
The police will have specific entry points at designated rally sites where uniformed officers will be screening those who enter.
“While police support everyone’s First Amendment rights to peaceably assemble and protest,” the release says, "(we) will be securing the rally area and prohibiting several items to make the environment as safe as possible.”
Prohibited items include:
- Any type of firearm regardless of permit
- Backpack or any other type of bag/purse, etc.
- Cooler
- Baby carriage/stroller/car seat
- Wagon/cart
- No poles of any type material, wooden sticks, etc. attached to a flag or sign - or for any other use
- No personal defense sprays (OC, CS, etc.) regardless of the size of the container
- No aerosol spray cans of any type
- No liquid containers, including water bottles
- Knives of any type
- Padlocks, chains, cable, rope, etc.
- Any item which could be used as a projectile (ball, rock, etc.)
- Portable heaters
- Any portable bullhorn/speaker/annunciation device in which the user has not obtained a permit for the use of said device from the City of KC MO for this specific rally.
- Any other item deemed by the police as having the potential to be used as a weapon.
Two counter protests have been planned.
The Latino Coalition of Kansas City will protest opposite the neo-Nazi group at the Jackson County Courthouse on Saturday at 2 p.m.
At 3 p.m., a second protest organized by a number of human and civil rights organizations and immigrant rights groups will gather at the Liberty Memorial. Among the groups involved are the NAACP, Jewish Community Relations Bureau, Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation, IREHR.org, SCLC, LULAC and the Greater Kansas City Inter-Faith Council.
The organizations say they are meeting at a different location to avoid verbal or physical confrontation that they say helps hate groups recruit members.
