CINCINNATI -- After a violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, cities across the country are considering how they can avoid falling victim to a similar tragedy.
Based on a recommendation from the local NAACP chapter, Cincinnati is considering a ban against white nationalists, neo-Nazis, the KKK and other supremacist groups from being able to gather and protest in the name of hate and violence.
"This isn't about Confederate statutes or their history, trying to protect that," Joe Malloy with the NAACP Cincinanti branch said. "This is about hate. This is about a group of individuals who have intolerance or hatred towards various groups."
City leaders say they're counting on police and the city's law department to give solutions without compromising freedom of speech.
"We're talking about a narrow group of people, we're talking organizations with a history of violence and domestic terrorism," Councilmember Yvette Simpson said.
At least two people associated with violence in Charlottesville have direct ties to Greater Cincinnati.
The man charged with driving the car in an attack that killed 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injured more than 20 others grew up in Florence, Kentucky. Another man named by police as a person of interest in a beating at the rally is a former Mason High School student.
Officials also hope to consult with authorities like the FBI to check groups for any history of violence.
"There is homegrown terrorism coming out of this state and yet there is not enough pressure from our administration to silence those voices," Elizabeth Hopkins with the AMOS Project said.
