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'If I were KKK, would I hold you like this?' Photo of opposing sides preaches hugs not hate

Widespread photo at Confederate monument reminds us to hug not hate

LYNCHBURG, Va. — A moving photo taken in Virginia is gaining attention as the country continues to grapple with tensions surrounding Confederate monuments.

Five days after a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville turned deadly, Confederate memorials in Lynchburg were listed as targets for vandalism, according to a Facebook post by the group The Virginia Flaggers.

The group, known as monument guards, were on patrol all day protecting the monuments and memorials.

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At night while patrolling the Jubal Early monument, a guard noticed a woman trembling with fear. He approached her with his arms stretched, saying, “We are not KKK.”

The woman, who identified herself as a Black Lives Matter supporter, wouldn’t let go of his embrace and he explained they were here to prevent another event like Charlottesville from happening, asking, “If I were KKK, would I hold you like this?” The woman’s response was, “No.”

In the post, the author writes that a story like this, “serves as a reminder to all of us that God can use the most troubling times to shine light and truth, even in near darkness.”

The post has been shared over 4,000 times on Facebook.