Stone Mountain Park of Suburban Atlanta, home of a giant sculpture of Confederate leaders, says it will close its gates Saturday in the face of a planned right-wing rally.
The incident has sparked fears of violence, especially before an all-Black militia earlier this week said it would cancel plans to watch. Other groups were still planning to protest.
Pro-Confederate, white supremacist and other right-wing groups had planned their event in response to a rally by the Black militia group on the Fourth of July.
Last year, the park also closed, instead of allowing a rally organized by white supremacists to move forward.
The organizers were led by an Arkansas group called Confederate States III%, which applied for a permit. But Stone Mountain Memorial Association spokesman John Bankhead said the park refused the permit on Aug. 4. The denial called for a violent clash between groups in April 2016. Bankhead said the park has not received any other permit applications. He said police would be on hand to keep protesters away.
Bankhead said the park will reopen Sunday.
Officials in the adjacent town of Stone Mountain advised people Friday to stay out of town all day, residents stay at home and businesses to close.
“Do not confront the Protestants,” the city wrote in a public announcement on social media.
“Please know that the city’s local alderman’s office is managing the situation and has come up with a plan to protect life and property,” the announcement went on. “Every effort is made to ensure that all demonstrations within the city limits are carried out peacefully and without incident.”
The predominantly Black protesters on the Fourth of July spoke out against the enormous sculpture depicted by Gen Robert E. Lee, Confederate President Jefferson Davis and Gen Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson. The bas-relief sculpture is carved into a granite mountain, the largest Confederate monument ever made.
The 100 to 200 Protestants, many of whom carried large guns, were peaceful.
Although the park has historically been a gathering place for white supremacists, the adjoining town of Stone Mountain today has a majority-Black population.
The park at Stone Mountain marks itself as a family-themed park rather than a sanctuary for the “Lost Cause” mythology that romanticizes the Confederacy as chivalrous defenders of the rights of states. It is a popular recreation area for many families on the east side of Atlanta, with walking trails, a golf course, boat rentals and other attractions. The park has long been known for its laser light shows, but these have been canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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