Socialist group plans to clash with pro-Confederate march in Austin next month

A march celebrating "the true Confederate heritage that most of America is unaware of" is set to take place late September in Austin, Texas. However, a socialist group is organizing a countermarch meant to meet the pro-Confederate march to "stymie" them.

According to the Statesman, the "Dixie Freedom Rally" organized by the Texas Confederate Militia was set to take place Sept. 2 as a counterprotest to a "Unity March" and concert. According to the Unity March's page, the event encourages "Texas’ diverse communities of color" to meet for a "free concert and march to show lawmakers that we are powerful, that we are united."

The page accused Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of attempting to criminalize minorities, specifically Latinos, by signing SB4 into law, which bans sanctuary cities in Texas.

However, Austin police and the Austin Parks Department consulted with the militia group and advised them to move their march to a later date. The organization complied and moved the event to Sept 23.

According to the Dixie Freedom Rally's Facebook event page, the event is still to be a march on the Texas Capitol and various Confederate statues. The page urged attendees to bring either a Confederate, or U.S. flag, as well as food to donate to charity. Attendees were also urged to legally bring their firearms and were told that no racism would be tolerated among the marchers. Those who did exhibit racism, the page stated, would be removed.

Simultaneously, the Austin Democratic Socialists of America were planning a countermarch on Sept. 2, but have also moved their event to Sept 23. According to the "Counterprotest: against white supremacist rally in ATX" Facebook event page, the Dixie Freedom Rally "is predicated on white supremacy" and encourages its followers to commit violence.

"Prepare to show up on the 2nd to shut down this event by the tactics you deem most appropriate," the countermarch's Facebook event page said before the date change, adding that the hosts of the countermarch do not condone violence.

However, the socialist group urged countermarch participants not to report their allies to the police or stop them if they see them doing something they find disagreeable. Participants are instead encouraged to "simply walk away":

The calls to action above are broad, and it is not an exhaustive list of all the steps one could take to oppose the hateful and dangerous event in question. Obviously, there will never be unanymity [sic] on the precisely 'correct' course of action, and understanding that, we suggest that every individual take part in the manner they deem most appropriate. If you are there on the day of, and you see a fellow counterdemonstrator [sic] doing something of which you disapprove, DO NOT direct the attention of law enforcement to that person or otherwise attempt to disrupt their mode of resistance (within reason). Simply walk away, especially if their actions make you feel unsafe in any way. In order to combat the clear and present danger posed by white supremacy in our midst, we must harness the collective efforts of all allies and we must focus those efforts on the foe at hand. The common struggle for universal liberation will manifest in different ways for different people at different times.

Radical leftist groups have recently posted articles and fliers calling for more battles in the street after the events in Charlottesville, Virginia, Saturday.

Radical leftist groups and white supremacists fought in the streets during a "Unite the Right" rally to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. During the fight, a man drove a Dodge Challenger into the middle of a crowd of leftists, killing one, and injuring multiple people.