CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Charlottesville city leaders gave an update Monday afternoon on this past weekend's protests commemorating one year since the deadly Unite the Right rally.
Despite uncertainty and a state of emergency before the anniversary, this weekend in Charlottesville was much more peaceful.
"The First Amendment is tough and in public safety, we must balance our Bill of Rights, our First Amendment and other rights with that of public safety. It's not always easy, but I think what we observed this weekend, we accomplished that," Virginia Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian Moran said.
Police made seven arrests on charges including disorderly conduct, assault and battery and concealing a weapon. Three officers were assaulted. Still, city leaders chalked up the weekend as a success.
Criminal justice expert Tod Burke said police training over the past year had a lot to do with that.
"The officers seemed better-prepared for the event and the potential confrontations. They kept the crowds and the cars separated,” Burke said.
More than 1,000 law enforcement officers, including 700 state troopers, lined the streets dressed in riot gear. But not everyone was happy with that show of force. Some chanted anti-police remarks, criticizing the response as over-policing.
"You always have that variable of the unknown and that's what I have to plan for," Charlottesville Police Chief RaShall Brackney said.
After what happened last year, Burke agrees that it was the right decision.
"Here, they may have gone to the other extreme, but as I look at it, it's better to be proactive than reactive," Burke said.
While city leaders are counting this weekend as a success, they said there's still a lot of learning and healing ahead.