Union President Jackie Jeter, center, calls for firing Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld for what she said was lying about Metro’s plans to transport the Unite the Right rallygoers. (Jordan Pascale / WAMU)

Metro’s largest union says the transit agency provided special treatment for last Sunday’s white nationalist rally and lied to the public about its plans.

ATU Local 689 President Jackie Jeter shared documents Tuesday that she said showed Metro used “special trains” to accommodated the two dozen Unite the Right 2 rally-goers.

An independent Metro watch group, Metrorail Ops Group, also pointed out what it called an unscheduled train for the group.

In an e-mailed statement, Metro said the use of so-called “gap trains” is common practice for big events like sports, concerts, and many First Amendment demonstrations. Metro also said these trains were “regularly-scheduled.”

But Jeter said Metro’s treatment of the white nationalists sets a bad precedent.

“They did not have to take our public transit system and turn it over to a hate group,” Jeter said. “There are rallies here all the time … but there is no time that we have allowed any group to commandeer the transit system.”

Metro said it ushered Unite the Right organizer Jason Kessler, his group, some media and police to the back of a Foggy Bottom-bound train that was waiting at the Vienna station on Sunday. Police guarded the entrance to the car at every stop and directed passengers to other cars for safety reasons, a Metro spokesperson said.

General Manager Paul Wiedefeld sent a note to Metro employees on Monday that said no passengers were turned away from the train.

“While not every police tactic is shared publicly in the interest of security, it’s important for Metro employees to know that the Kessler group rode a regularly scheduled Metro train going to and from the rally,” Wiedefeld said.

Jeter said too many resources went into Sunday — more than she’s seen before.

Law enforcement said they assigned that many officers to keep everyone safe and protesters and counter-protesters separate. Last year, violence broke out in Charlottesville after the two groups were not kept separate. Counter-protester Heather Heyer was killed by a white nationalist who drove his car into a crowd.

For the return trip from the D.C. rally, the group was ushered into white vans at Lafayette Square and driven to the Rosslyn station where a train was waiting.

Jeter said the train operators for both rides, who were African American men, were not told they would be transporting the white nationalists.

Both were “devastated and distraught” at having to transport the very people who hate them and people like them, Jeter said.

The union is holding a rally at 12th and G streets Northwest near Metro Center on Thursday at noon to call for Wiedefeld’s firing.

Metro and the union have been sparring over several issues since their contract expired two years ago.

This story originally appeared on WAMU.

Previously:
Metro Comes Under Fire For White Supremacist Group’s Ride To Rally
Here’s What Is Happening With ‘Unite The Right 2’ And Counterprotests