CHARLOTTE -- A group of more than one hundred people gathered in Marshall Park Thursday evening to combat racism, hate and bigotry, in a show of protest on the same day another protest, which some perceived as a white supremacy rally, was planned.

That rally was billed as an "Anti-Communist" rally and was announced in September. It was canceled shortly thereafter, for "security concerns."

Thursday's anti-racism ralliers said that anti-com group was the same one that organized the deadly Charlottesville, Virginia rally and that's why they showed up despite the cancellation: to make sure hate and bigotry is doesn't "get a footing" in Charlotte.

Several ralliers spoke to the crowd, before they all marched through Uptown to Trade and Tryon Streets, escorted by Charlotte Mecklenburg Police officers.