Saturday, Aug. 15, 2020, Stone Mountain -- Militia members from the Georgia Security Force III% gather in Stone Mountain Saturday, Aug. 15, 2020
Saturday, Aug. 15, 2020, Stone Mountain -- Several far-right groups, including militias and white supremacists, rally at Stone Mountain, and a broad coalition of leftist anti-racist groups are organizing a counter-demonstration.
Credit: Chris Joyner
Credit: Chris Joyner
8: 30 a.m. UPDATE
Our journalists are at the park. The gates are closed and law enforcement officers from the Georgia National Guard, Georgia State Patrol and city of Stone Mountain are gathered at the town entrance to the park. A few protesters hoping to challenge any of the armed militias are also gathering downtown.
8/15/20 - Stone Mountain, GA - A heavy police presence is on hand as several far-right groups, including militias and white supremacists, were planning to rally Saturday at Stone Mountain, and a broad coalition of leftist anti-racist groups are organizing a counter-demonstration. Local authorities, who have been closely monitoring online chatter about the rally, are bracing for possible conflict. Alyssa Pointer / alyssa.pointer@ajc.com
Credit: Alyssa Pointer
Credit: Alyssa Pointer
8/15/20 - Stone Mountain, GA - A heavy police presence is on hand as several far-right groups, including militias and white supremacists, were planning to rally Saturday at Stone Mountain, and a broad coalition of leftist anti-racist groups are organizing a counter-demonstration. Local authorities, who have been closely monitoring online chatter about the rally, are bracing for possible conflict. Alyssa Pointer / alyssa.pointer@ajc.com
Credit: Alyssa Pointer
Credit: Alyssa Pointer
Counter demonstrators started showing up in downtown Stone Mountain around 8:30.
Zach Benton of Atlanta took up a spot on Main Street with a handwritten sign. He said he heard about the counter demonstration on Twitter and decided to be a part of it to show that racism doesn’t have a place in the city.
”It’s to show they don’t have power here. I want them to know they are not welcome anymore,” he said.
The rally organizers, many of whom come from the militia movement, dispute they are racists. Some say they want to protect their heritage. But others involved in the planning are longtime white supremacist activists and the rally was advertised and encouraged on notorious racist Internet forums.
Atlanta activist Zach Benton holds a sign in downtown Stone Mountain Saturday, May 15, 2020.
Credit: Chris Joyner
Credit: Chris Joyner
8 A.M. ORIGINAL POST:
Several far-right groups, including militias and white supremacists, are planning to rally Saturday at Stone Mountain, and a broad coalition of leftist anti-racist groups are organizing a counter-demonstration. Local authorities, who have been closely monitoring online chatter about the rally, are bracing for possible conflict.
On Friday evening, park officials announced the site will close its gates Saturday rather than allow a confrontation. The city of Stone Mountain, meanwhile, has urged people to stay away from downtown, and suspended MARTA bus service within city limits.
The rally was planned in response to hundreds of members of a Black militia who turned heads July 4 as they marched with assault rifles, shotguns and other firearms, on Stone Mountain and its famous Confederate memorial.
This is the second time the park has closed ahead of a planned political demonstration. The park closed last year on the Saturday before Atlanta hosted Super Bowl LIII to head off demonstrations around a planned white supremacist rally.
Return here on AJC.com for live updates from Stone Mountain later this morning.Return to AJC.com for updates.
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LIVE UPDATES: Militias scheduled to gather at Stone Mountain - Atlanta Journal Constitution
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