White Lives Matter Group protest in Houston

The group  protested in front of the NAACP office in Third Ward on Sund ay.The Confederate flag waved in front of the NAACP office Sunday. The red flag with its blue X holding white stars hung over the shoulder of a White Lives Matter member who was joined by others in his group in a protest against the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People."We came out here to protest against the NAACP and their failure in speaking out against the atrocities that organizations like Black Lives Matter and other pro-black organizations have caused the attack and killing of white police officers, the burning down of cities and things of that nature," White Lives Matter member Ken Reed said.

"If they're going to be a civil rights organization and defend their people, they also need to hold their people accountable."The protest drew much attention as people took photos of the group which held assault rifles and "White Lives Matter"signs on the Third Ward block.

"We're not out here to instigate or start anyproblems," Reed said. "Obviously we're exercising our Second Amendment rights but that's because we have to defend ourselves."Though area residents agreed with the message of equality that, at times, was shouted from the bull horn, some were taken aback by the Confederate flags and the presence of firearms."That's a bold statement,"The Conferderate flag throws me off," Richardson said. "You're saying Black Lives Matter is a racist organization but when you're throwing the Confederate flag up and saying White Lives Matter, are you saying you're racist?"Reed said the flags were being flown as a symbol of Southern heritage. "It has nothing to do with racism on our part," Reed said. "We're proud to be Southern. It has all to do about heritage, nothing to do with hate."One member of the White Lives Matter group held a sign with the slogan "14 words" on it. The phrase "14 words" is a popular white supremacist slogan: "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children."At one point, an African-American man walked up to the barricade and began asking the White Lives Matters crowd questions. "But you understand more white people are well fed than anybody else," he told thecrowd. A White Lives Matter member responded,"Statistically," before being led away by Reed.  "They're trying to ruin it," Reed told him.Police began clearing out the crowd of roughly 20 White Lives Matters supporters at 3:30 p.m., but some residents lingered. Some said that they were angry the protestwas happening in the Third Ward, which is a predominantly black neighborhood. "You going to arrest me now? Do we come to your neighborhoods? We've got no gunsout here," one neighborhood resident said to police. Others joined in, listing off recentofficer-involved shootings that have resulted in the deaths of African-Americans.