A reverend who led his parishioners through the streets of Boston on Saturday to protest against a 鈥渇ree speech rally鈥� that some feared would attract white nationalists says he believes race relations in the United States are getting better.

Rev. John C. Dorhauer, President of the United Church of Christ, said that recent rallies attended by white supremacists and neo-Nazis 鈥� like last Saturday鈥檚 deadly rally in Charlottesville, N.C. -- represent the 鈥渄ying embers of a racist past that we鈥檙e ready to eradicate.鈥�

鈥淲hat we are seeing is the last vestige of white patriarchy doing everything they can to gain attention,鈥� Dorhauer told 麻豆传媒 Channel on Saturday.

鈥淭hat they have a president that is opening up safe space for them makes it feel as if they are gaining ground,鈥� he added. 鈥淭hey are not.鈥�

more Americans who were polled viewed race relations as 鈥済enerally good鈥� than 鈥済enerally bad鈥� from around 2000 until May 2015. That changed after the death of black man Freddie Gray, who died in Baltimore Police custody, his death sparking protests and riots.

An estimated 15,000 counter-protesters showed up in Boston Saturday to face off with what turned out to be just a handful of people attending the 鈥渇ree speech鈥� rally. Police made a number of arrests.

Dorhauer said hateful people are 鈥済oing to look more powerful and more dangerous than they are but they鈥檙e not going to have another day in America.鈥�

With files from The Associated Press