By Scott Buttram
BIRMINGHAM — Motorists on Interstate 59 and Interstate 65 started spotting racially charged banners on several interstate overpasses Saturday morning, according to multiple media reports. The person or persons responsible for the banners, which read, “DIVERSITY = WHITE GENOCIDE”, is not known.
ABC 33/40 reported that Birmingham police officers moved quickly to remove the banners.
“The banners read diversity equals white genocide and so all our officers began to respond,” Lt. Sean Edwards told the television station.
Martin Reed of al.com reported that the banners may be associated with a group called White Man March, which planned rallies across the country Saturday, though none were planned in Birmingham.
In a separate interview, Edwards told Martin, “We don’t want stuff like that. We want to remove it quickly. We don’t want to alarm the citizens. We don’t welcome that type of mentality and behavior here.”