Thread by @tormaid, I’m at the Stonewall Jackson Memorial Cemetery in Lexington, VA on this [...]

I’m at the Stonewall Jackson Memorial Cemetery in Lexington, VA on this snowy Saturday morning because there’s a gathering of confederate cosplayers. I’m late for the speaking section of this event, but the first words I heard as I approached the site were, “we are the statues!”

There’s ~70 racists gathered around the statue marking Stonewall Jackson’s gave. This is annual event, and according to @GoadGatsby the turnout is typically closer to 200. I suspect the events of the last week have had a chilling effect on these sorts of gatherings.

There’s a minuscule police presence of two unmarked VSP cars across the street.

There’re singling this horribly out-of-tune battle hymn to conclude this portion of the event. Soon they will be marching down Main St. before circling back to re-convene at the graveyard, says an organizer.

The group of cosplayers is lined up behind an unmarked police escort vehicle in preparation for the march. Isn’t this, quire literally, “backing the blue”?

None of the cosplayers are wearing masks. I’m sure it’s just because doing so would be historically inaccurate.

Yeah, that’s definitely it.

It seems a number of groups are involved, including the Sons of Confederate Veterans and the Virginia Flaggers. https://twitter.com/barrettgay3/status/1350472886247632906

https://twitter.com/barrettgay3/status/1350472886247632906

There are chants of “Yankees go home” and “God bless Dixie” but it’s mostly just hooting and hollering as the group marches through downtown.

Antifa weapon stockpile sighted.

Back at the graveyard. I think my fingers my fall off without warning

“This isn’t about statues, but flesh and blood people” people says an organizer, which seems strange coming from statue worshipers.

With another round of Dixie, this even had concluded.

Local media are now interviewing the racists. Don’t do this, y’all.

This same person from a Back the Blue rally in Richmond I covered back in August said hi again and that he had a picture of me on his phone. He said to his friend as they were walking away “I never forget a face.”

So, wait, which is it? https://twitter.com/tormaid/status/1295112558467317765

https://twitter.com/tormaid/status/1295112558467317765

I decided to leave the event after being threatened by this group. After taking these pictures, a person with a large confederate flag approached me, spreading the flag out to block my view. [1/2]

I asked what this individual was doing and they said, surprised, “oh, it’s a dude” and got out their phone.

They called me a “traitor” before rejoining their friends (pictured above). I overheard them say they “got the tranny’s name” (I’m wearing my press lanyard). [2/2]

Anyway, that concludes my coverage. Thanks for tuning in, and if you see a face you recognize, say something!

Please stop tagging the FBI in my mentions! I am completely uninterested in turning to the fascist state for help—we keep us safe.

Realized this person’s face was in the footage I took of the march. Hi