Read the Daily's coverage of the 1996 KKK rally:

Protesters march against KKK demonstration

KKK speaks out about protesters, views

KKK protesters crash city council meeting to denounce rally arrests

Ann Arbor remembers violence, pain of '96 KKK demonstration

Shock, rage and regret flooded Ann Arbor two years ago as the Ku Klux Klan rallied on the steps of City Hall and caused the liberal city to erupt into violence.

Today, those who witnessed the eight arrests and acts of rebellion still clearly remember the anger and fear of June 22, 1996 that left an indelible mark on Ann Arbor history.

One 1996 KKK rally picture that gained immediate national attention is perhaps the most vivid reminder of the afternoon. It captured Keshia Thomas, a KKK protester, shielding a man wearing a Confederate flag T-shirt from the blows of other protesters.

Her twisted face and expression of concern were a testimony to the emotional energy that had the power to unite or divide the crowd.

FILE PHOTO At the rally in 1996, Keshia Thomas attempted to shield this demonstrator, who wore a Confederate flag T-shirt, from attack.

"I think she did the right thing," said Bunyan Bryant, an SNRE professor who watched video footage of the 1996 rally. "But only 5 minutes earlier, she was yelling (protest slogans). She made a sudden ideological shift in a few minutes."

Bryant said Thomas' change of heart indicates that many of the '96 protesters did not fully comprehend the implications of their violent acts.

According to police records, the 1996 rally included 15 Klan members, hundreds of people from outside organizations and 277 police officers.

Around City Hall and down Main St., chaos reigned as the protesters, some of them University students, harassed police and shouted at peaceful people nearby to "get off their ass." The scene grew worse as the protesters shattered windows and tear-gas canisters exploded on the ground.

Sergeant Michael Logghe called the '96 rally a "disgusting mess," despite the preparation of the police force and community.

"I think we kind of expected what happened to happen," Logghe said. "We knew there would be a lot of rock-throwing and violence."

Logghe said the June 22 rally was reminiscent of the neo-Nazi rallies of the 1980s, which occurred frequently in Ann Arbor and promoted similar racist messages.

"In both cases, the city had no legal right to stop them from coming," Logghe said. He added that Ann Arbor "obviously didn't want them here."

Logghe remembered the violence and chaos of June 22 with grim acceptance, acknowledging that the KKK "couldn't pay" for the media coverage they received from the '96 rally.

"Unfortunately, they came to Ann Arbor because here they could get the violence and uproar ... that they wanted," Logghe said. "They got millions of dollars worth of free advertising."

Members of Ann Arbor Organizing Against the Klan (AAOAK) who attended the '96 rally said they were prepared to "shut (the KKK) down by any means available," but blamed the violence of the 1996 rally on Klan advocates - despite police records insisting that KKK members were not among those arrested for violent behavior.

In the aftermath of the fierce rally, many protesters also considered police forces the source of the day's pandemonium. Demonstrators said the police arrived in "what looked like full combat gear" and "tear-gassed the hell" out of the crowd.

But Chief of Police Carl Ent said the police force simply "did what (it) had to do."

"Officers were withstanding rocks and glass bottles for an hour and a half. We didn't step in until the officers began taking a barrage of rocks and bricks," Ent said. "We said, 'That's it, we have to end this.'"

Members of AAOAK and the National Women's Rights Organizing Coalition protested arrests that were made and demanded that the involved officers be suspended without pay.

Tobi Hanna-Davies, a member of the Interfaith Council, had proposed an investigation of police action but decided to have it dropped.

"The police were in an extremely tough position," Hanna-Davies said. She said they had to maintain peace and do what was best for everyone involved.

Hanna-Davies added that inadequate community planning led to the unexpected violence and confusion. "We were extremely busy when the KKK announced their plans to come to Ann Arbor," Hanna-Davies said. "We were just not able to pull together the kind of response that was necessary."

On June 22, hate surmounted the barriers and the violence surprised many - even those who tried to avoid the scene.

"A lot of people thought staying away would be enough," said Pam Hoffer, an organizer of this year's peace rally. She added that in 1996, people were swept up in the violence.

"The community made an error of omission," Hoffer said.

The Klan members used freedom of speech to proclaim their recruitment message from the second-level balcony of City Hall, separated from the crowd by both police units and fencing. Many disagreed with the government's protection of the Klan, citing the $72,000 the city spent as proof that the government "rolled out the red carpet" for the KKK.

In the wake of the second Klan rally that occurred on Saturday, Ent said that, while the events of June 22 cannot be erased, the Ann Arbor community learned many valuable lessons that proved to be beneficial this year.

Ent mentioned the work of this year's Peace Team, which was stationed around City Hall and on surrounding streets to prevent violence.

"Today's events were much different than two years ago," Ent said at a press conference Saturday as he recounted the weekend's KKK rally at City Hall. "This year, I am very proud of our community."

05-11-98