The Black Charlottesville, Virginia, man who was brutally beaten and severely wounded by a group of white supremacists in August during the Unite the Right rally will head to court on Friday.

The Root reports that despite the fact that Harris was the one attacked and left with a broken wrist, staples in his head and other physical injuries, Harris will stand trial on charges of misdemeanor assault.

Harris had felony charges dropped in connection to the attack in December.

Residents of Charlottesville have requested that Commonwealth Attorney Joe Platania drop the misdemeanor charges against Harris. Two other Black men, Corey Long and Donald Blakney are also being charged with committing crimes in the midst of defending themselves from white supremacists.

Despite pleas from local residents, Platania has refused to drop the pending charges.

On Thursday evening, members of Black Lives Matter Charlottesville, Congregate Charlottesville, Showing up for Racial Justice Charlottesville and other groups in the area are reportedly planning to host and attend a vigil in support of Harris, Long and Blakney, according to The Root.

The vigil will also serve as a symbol of demanding justice on their behalf.

The activists are said to have planned to meet in front of the Charlottesville General District Courthouse this evening (4:30), where they will demand for Platania to drop the charges.

“These charges are part of a broader strategy employed by white supremacists to weaponize the courts against Black people by first inciting violence, and then pressing charges,” Lisa Woolfork, an organizer with BLM Charlottesville, said in a press release sent to The Root.

Story developing.