Stone Mountain, GA – More than 400 youth, students, and anti-racist activists protested a “white power” rally by 12 members of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and Southern Heritage in Stone Mountain Park, Georgia on April 23. The anti-racist protesters marched into Stone Mountain Park chanting as they prepared to confront the police. They successfully closed down the park and forced the cancellation of the “white power” concert originally scheduled for that night.

Law enforcement officers attempted three times to block protesters from marching into Stone Mountain Park, but were ultimately overcome. Over 100 police, National Guard, and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) blocked entrances and protected the Klansmen. Stone Mountain has three Confederate leaders carved into the huge rock face and is where the modern Klan was founded.

“Cops and Klan go hand in hand!” and “When I say ‘cop,’ you say, ‘racist’”, protesters chanted in defiance of the repressive police tactics. Others chanted, “Black Power!” and “One Solution, Revolution!”

The cops made it clear they were there to defend the Klansmen against the protesters, and not the other way around. The cops faced down the anti-racists while wearing full riot gear, including some automatic weapons. By the end of the day, the police arrested eight anti-racist protesters.

Tom Jones from Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) drove to Georgia for the protest, “If we are striving for tolerance, it’s crucial to fight bigotry where and whenever it shows itself. A truly tolerant society doesn’t permit bigotry. It’s great that we rallied here today, to show the KKK that hateful, racist bigots are not welcome anywhere.”

Taina Pantoja of Tampa SDS, “The KKK is one of the manifestations of white supremacy and national oppression in the United States, which we need to combat in order to achieve liberation for Black people.”

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