MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Members of the West Virginia division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans say they will hold an event to celebrate Southern heritage in downtown Martinsburg next month, despite not receiving approval for a parade.

Paul Williams, the division’s commander, said he thought that city leaders would ask him to speak about the group’s request during a Martinsburg City Council meeting Thursday night before voting on it.

Instead, the Civil War heritage group’s request to use portions of Queen and Race streets for the event on March 5 was denied by a 7-0 vote without any discussion or questions by city staff or council members.

The decision was applauded by many residents, including Kris Loken, who voiced concerns about the event possibly advocating violence and celebrating a flag that is associated with extremist groups.

Williams, who was joined by Richard Bushong and Robert Lohr at Thursday’s meeting, said afterward that the event would not involve extremist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan.

“We would go to court to stop them from being in it,” said Bushong, the lieutenant commander of the organization.

Ward 2 Councilman Kevin Knowles, who made the motion to deny the request, said Friday that Martinsburg Police Chief Maury Richards had conveyed concerns prior to the meeting about shutting down the streets for the event.

Richards could not be reached for comment Friday, but said in a Feb. 5 memorandum to city leaders that the request "as presented, would unnecessarily shut down city streets, disrupt traffic and incur unreasonable manpower and financial burdens on our police department — and should be denied."

He wrote in the memo that the Sons of Confederate Veterans may use the sidewalks for their event, but should do so in a "peaceable manner that does not obstruct the operations of local businesses, harass pedestrians or disrupt traffic at intersections."

Richards also noted that Deputy Police Chief George Swartwood had made numerous unsuccessful attempts to speak with Williams about the police department's concerns and recommendations.

“Shame on me for not explaining (my motion),” Knowles said.

In making the parade request, Williams said in a letter to city leaders that the event would celebrate the birth of the Confederate flag 155 years ago on March 4, 1861, and participants would use the sidewalk, if not allowed to use the street.

The two-hour event was to begin at town square and proceed north to Race Street, and stop outside the Belle Boyd House.

But Berkeley County Historical Society President Todd Funkhouser told the council Thursday night that the organization had denied use of the historic Belle Boyd home because the time of the event conflicts with the operating hours of the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Convention & Visitors Bureau, which leases the property for a visitor center and administrative office.

Boyd, who grew up in Martinsburg, is considered to be one of the Confederacy’s most famous spies during the Civil War.

Williams suggested that the council’s vote to deny their request amounted to discrimination just after council members voted earlier in the meeting Thursday to adopt a nondiscrimination ordinance.

Knowles insisted that at least his vote, if not the vote of other council members, was simply based on the police chief’s traffic concerns.

Williams told city leaders that he expected between 100 and 300 people to attend the event.

The council’s unanimous vote to adopt the nondiscrimination ordinance after a third reading was applauded by residents who filled the council chambers.

Confederate group to hold W.Va. event despite parade denial - Herald Mail Media: West Virginia