PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WVEC) -- One local high school football team had its game a school in Richmond this weekend relocated to Portsmouth on the same day as a pro-Confederate monument rally.
Churchland High School would have traveled to Richmond to play against Armstrong High School on Saturday.
On that same day, a pro-Confederate monument rally is planned to happen in the downtown area of Richmond.
However, both teams will play at Churchland that evening.
A Tennessee-based Confederate heritage group is planning a rally Saturday near the General Robert E. Lee monument.
13News Now reached out to the Richmond Public Schools to get more information on the reason the game was relocated.
School district officials cite traffic as the reason.
RSports: Armstrong Wildcats vs. Churchland at Churchland HS. NOTE: This is a change. #RPSports #WeAreRPS pic.twitter.com/M5YHTmyox6
— Richmond(VA) Schools (@RPS_Schools) September 14, 2017
Portsmouth Public Schools would not comment. However, they did tell us that Richmond Public Schools contacted them to request that the game be moved.
PPS officials say they have plenty of space to accommodate students and staff hosting the game.
Richmond police say no permits were requested for a demonstration or rally, but posts on social media show that people from both pro- and anti-Confederate sides will gather.
There will be NO PARKING zones on several streets beginning at 9 am Friday to 11 p.m. Sat for the following roads due to possible assemblies pic.twitter.com/apUy0CcVU4
— Richmond Police (@RichmondPolice) September 11, 2017
Police say they're ready for hundreds or thousands of people to attend.
One of the last pro-Confederate rallies that gained national attention happened in Charlottesville where one woman died and 30 people were injured.