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Aaron Barmer stands across the street from the Stonewall Jackson Hotel and Conference Center in Staunton for the seventh day in a row on Friday, June 19, 2020 in protest the hotel being named after a confederate general.(Photo: Monique Calello/The News Leader)

STAUNTON It's been a week since Aaron Barmer began standing outside the Stonewall Jackson Hotel and Conference Center in protest of the hotel being named after a confederate general.

He and a group of protestors come to the hotel during check-in time between 4 and 6 p.m. every day. While some of the protestors masked faces might change from day to day, Barmer is always there.

It's also been one week since he and Arrow Kilbourn, who also protests daily, sent an email to Staunton City Council asking them to make a public statement showing support for the hotel's owner decision to change the name. Three days went by and the only person to respond was Ophie Kier as an outgoing member of city council.

More: Stonewall Jackson Hotel owners pledge to change Confederate name

Outgoing city council member and Vice Mayor Ophie Kier spoke to a crowd in Staunton at a rally for George Floyd, a black man who died in Minneapolis after a white police officer pressed his knee into Floyds neck for nearly nine minutes.(Photo: Patrick Hite/The News Leader)

"Much has happened in our nation, our state and city in recent weeks. To say this is an understatement. With the viewing of an American citizen being killed by several police officers on national TV, around the world there has been an awakening in those that have suffered at the hands of oppression for generations, even centuries.

"For far too long Black America has done what was necessary to keep peace everywhere we live. While we mourn the taking of George Floyds life there are far too many others that have not been mentioned and even more forgotten. Unless and until we come to the understanding that there would be no America as we know it without the strength, endurance, genius and will to survive of that enslaved human we will sadly not grow. We shall not survive.

"The contribution of those enslaved people are far too numerous to mention and the use of statues and naming of properties that was done to intimidate must come to an end.

I am one however that knows we cannot erase history and feel that the place for these are in museums so that I may teach my grandson what evil looks like.

"The names on buildings such as the Stonewall Jackson Hotel must be changed."

Ophie A. Kier

The Stonewall Jackson Hotel in downtown Staunton.(Photo: Mike Tripp/The News Leader)

On Friday, Barmer had a conversation with owner of Mill Street Grill and Staunton City CouncilmanTerry Holmes, who explained to him some of the many moving parts that are going to be involved in the process of changing the hotel's name.

"It seems like the company continues to be in motion in making this happen," Barmer said. "There may be a need for historic preservation to sign off on some things."

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Barmer urged Holmes to lead a statement and make sure city council puts out a statement that they acknowledge the name change andare working to expedite the process."

"And most of all that they support what we're trying to do."

On Juneteenth Day, the City of Staunton republished their statement on racial justice they posted the previous week.

"But absent from that was anything looking like a solution," said Barmer. "And to me, we're a solution for making good on that statement."

Staunton City Council full statement here.

Barmer said the name change is under city council review per his discussion with Holmes.Holmes told him that it's going to take some time to coordinate with the hotel owners and to figure out what the ramifications are for historic preservation certification and codes.

"I reiterated to himthat whatever the story is with that, it cannot be an excuse," said Barmer. "Historic preservation codes cannot have priority over the removal of a confederate general's name over the Staunton skyline."

The group of citizens protestingare looking to Holmes totake the lead in city councilissuing a public statement specific to the name change for the Stonewall Jackson Hotel.

"We need to see that the city, not just the company, is taking seriously their recent statement on supporting racial justice in Staunton," Barmer said. "This is an excellent opportunity for them to demonstrate that. Transparency is going to have to be the way of the walk here."

The statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee stands in the center of the renamed Emancipation Park on Aug. 22, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. A decision to remove the statue caused a violent protest by white nationalists, neo-Nazis, the Ku Klux Klan and members of the 'alt-right'. (Photo: Mark Wilson, Getty Images)

The protestors have been met with mixed reactions.

More: Area reacts to proposed name change of Stonewall Jackson Hotel

Barmer is paying attention to the traffic on social media to see how their stories and photos of them are being shared.

"I'm seeing numerous indications that confederate-minded people, whether here or further abroad connected through social media that there's a lot of complaints," said Barmer. "I did see one comment that the hotel should come out with guns and scare us off."

"They ought to take out a gun and tell them get the heck out," commented Laurie Gleason Roy in the Northern Confederates Facebook group.

"Tell these people to take a walk over a mine field," commented Karl Blake in the Confederate Keepers Facebook group.

"Had the South won the war, none of this nonsense would be happening today," commented Jason Ford.

While the protestors have been met with negative reactions from those in favor of keeping the name, they have also been met with support from those who want the name of the hotel changed and the red neon sign with the confederate general's name down.

As of June 19, Barmer has not received any direct threats, but did say he's seen himself named in a few groups.

As of Monday night, Council member Holmes hasn't gotten back to Barmer with an update.

More: Every Confederate monument taken down in Virginia in 2020

More: Confederate-named roads around Staunton. What would it take to change them?

More: As Richmond's Confederate statues go, so might the South's

More: 'We all know it's time': Northam directs removal of Robert E. Lee statue

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Reporter Monique Calello can be reached at mcalello@newsleader.com and on Twitter @moniquecalello.

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Stonewall Jackson Hotel: 'The use of statues and naming of properties that was done to intimidate must come to an end.' - The News Leader