Ohio KKK Rally Draws Just 9 Members While Counter-Protest Draws 600

Just nine Ku Klux Klan members showed up to a rally in Dayton, Ohio Saturday and found themselves badly outnumbered by hundreds of protesters, The Dayton Daily News reports.

City officials estimated that around 500 to 600 people gathered to oppose the KKK rally at Courthouse Square. The KKK rally drew less than 10 and all but one member wore a mask to hide their face as they waved an American flag, a KKK flag, and a Confederate flag.

Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl told the outlet the city was “very pleased” that no one was arrested and no violence or injuries were reported.

At one point counter-protesters began to shake the security fence near the KKK members but the situation was diffused.

“This is probably Dayton at its best,” Dayton City Commissioner Darryl Fairchild said of the counter-protest that ended peacefully.

Security cost $650K:

The security costs for the 9-man rally are estimated to have cost around $650,000, Dayton City Manager Shelley Dickstein told The Daily News.

About $250,000 was spent on personnel costs and $400,000 was spent on materials, she said.

“We have very little way to recapture that spent money,” Dickstein said.

“This clearly was a safety challenge for our city and our community,” Biehl said.

"This ugly chapter is over, but it means we have to get back to the real work - making sure that no matter what you look like, where you come from, or who you love, that you can have a great life here in Dayton," Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley said on Twitter after the protest.

 

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