SALISBURY — Two men charged with inciting a riot during protests last year at the Confederate monument “Fame” are serving probation after pleading to lesser offenses.

Jeffrey Long, of Kernersville, pleaded no contest Nov. 2 to two counts of carrying a concealed weapon, disorderly conduct and discharging a firearm in the city limits. He received a 30-day sentence, which was suspended for 18 months of supervised probation.

Long’s sentence allowed him to be transferred to unsupervised probation this month. As a condition of his probation, his concealed carry permit was temporarily revoked. He’s not allowed to possess weapons during probation.

Long was also asked to pay a $500 fine and court costs of $230.

Prior to the plea, Long’s charges included inciting a riot, which was reduced to disorderly conduct, after he fired shots in the air near protesters gathered May 31 at the Innes and Church streets, where the “Fame” monument formerly stood. The incident raised the temperature on protests that had been ongoing after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and was oft-cited during Salisbury City Council deliberations about moving the monument. After shots were fired and police took Long into custody, protesters marched through the city and continued chants into the night.

One day later, Harvey McCorkle, of Salisbury, was charged with damage to property and inciting a riot after being accused of tossing a rock through the front window of the Salisbury Post. On Nov. 2, McCorkle pleaded to a lesser charge of injury to real property.

McCorkle received a 91-day sentence, which was suspended for 18 months of supervised probation. As a condition of his probation, he’s to receive anger management treatment. After six months, he can be transferred to unsupervised probation. He was asked to pay court costs of $215 and $1,038 in restitution.