The pastor of The Experience Community in Murfreesboro told his congregation not to go to Saturday's White Lives Matter protest.
Corey Trimble said he's recommended people stay home or go to other events happening in the city that day instead of the White Supremacist rally. He says his congregation of 3,000 is among several other churches who are doing the same thing in the city.
"I'm just worried about our people getting hurt," Trimble said. "I think it's going to be a large group of people who are not going to be open. They aren't going to be level headed and they're not going to be in a place to hear truth or hear a message of peace."
Trimble said Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland has also asked churches with large membership to encourage people to stay away.
Saturday's rally could draw a large crowd, and police will have a presence during the protest. Trimble said attitudes could make things get out of hand.
"I recently watched a lot of footage in Charlottesville. The square in Charlottesville is eerily similar to ours. The students, anti-protesting, protesting the protesters, look a lot like our students here at MTSU. I cried when I watched the footage of that car plowing into those people. I have a fear that some of our more vocal congregants here, that fight for social justice. I just don't want them to get hurt," Trimble said.
Saturday's protest runs from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
