VOTE: Do You Support The Plan For A Counter Demonstration?

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A divided message is coming from Central Florida leaders trying to keep the peace during a planned Neo-Nazi rally. Several African American leaders and Orlando police are encouraging people to avoid the rally altogether. But a state senator is taking the opposite approach.

The Neo-Nazi group plans to march along a route through the Parramore area, which is predominantly African American. State Senator Gary Siplin has decided to go against the advice of other community leaders and police to organize a counter demonstration.

The permit allows the National Socialist Movement to march along the sidewalk in Parramore. Senator Siplin's protest of prayer will be on the opposite sidewalk across the street and more than 100 officers will be keeping the peace in between.

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It's the same message Neo-Nazi groups were spreading in October in Toledo, Ohio, when their peaceful hatred sparked violent protests from private citizens. Police moved in and arrested more than 100 people.

"People have various levels of emotion and all it takes is one person to react to that and everybody is gonna jump on board," said Sgt. Barbara Jones, Orlando Police Department.

That's why Orlando’s police chief and several community leaders have asked people in Parramore to stay home Saturday and ignore the Orlando march of the National Socialist Movement.

"Don't be there to hear the message. If nobody's there to hear the message, then there is no message," Sgt. Jones said.

But Senator Siplin said it isn't that simple.

"I've been black all my life. Black folks aren't gonna stay inside. You can't make black folks stay inside," he said.

He said others probably won't even know about the march ahead of time and will be caught by surprise.

"If they don't know what's happening when they see 'em march down the street, they're gonna get excited about it. If we're not out there to keep the calm and peace, there's gonna be a problem," Senator Siplin said.

Senator Siplin is calling on the community to meet an hour before the march to rally in prayer. He wants his group to walk along the march route praying for the Neo-Nazis.

"We're gonna love 'em in our neighborhood, love 'em to death," Senator Siplin said.

But officers are prepared if things turn violent with other agencies ready to assist. They said it's usually the emotional protestors who get arrested, not the people spreading the hate.

"We believe our message is the better message based on the history of this group," Sgt. Jones said.

Orlando police said they will have two command centers Saturday, one at headquarters and another on the street in Parramore.

Corrections officers will even be set up with a booking center at the march for any arrests. Of course, they're hoping none of that planning will be necessary.