Saturday’s demonstration drew a large presence of police from across the metro area and the Georgia State Patrol, but they remained on the periphery of the protests. Unlike some previous demonstrations between extreme right and left groups where police used overwhelming numbers to separate them, such as last year’s protest over Super Bowl weekend, authorities have allowed the two groups to approach each other. The strategy led to several small-scale fights and regular kicking matches.
There were no arrests, police said.
8/15/20 – Stone Mountain, GA – James Armor, 6, looks at his mother before talking to police as several groups far right, including militias and white supremacists, rally Saturday in Stone Mountain, and a broad coalition of left-wing anti-racist groups organized a counter-demonstration there after local authorities closed Stone Mountain park. Jenni Girtman for the Atlanta Journal Constitution
Credit: Jenni Girtman
Credit: Jenni Girtman
One militia organizer, in Arkansas-based Confederate States III%, had intended to protest in the park, but the Stone Mountain Memorial Association refused their permission, as did the city. As the group proceeded with plans to demonstrate there anyway, the park announced Friday that it would close its gates for the day. Groups of soldiers shuddered in the hours following the announcement to come up with a new plan, while protesters urged their people to stick to their plan to call in the city.
Reason of local NAACP
About 200 people in the Counter-Demonstration Coalition began Saturday morning at the gazebo outside the Stone Mountain Welcome Center on Main Street, listening as speakers urged the crowd to do what they could to address issues, lending practices and forced evictions. Others claim to destroy the Confederate monument at Stone Mountain.
Richard Rose, president of the Atlanta branch of the NAACP, examined the sea of faces of different colors, many standing several feet apart and wearing face masks because of the current pandemic.
“This is what America looks like,” he said. “It does not look like what is on that mountain.”
A man identified as “Brandyn,” a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, also told the crowd gathered that the same energy used to organize a march could be used for much larger tasks.
“In the same way that if you work together to organize a march, you can come together to tackle racism,” he said. “That’s the power we need to see.”
Militia outnumbered
When the counter-protesters spoke, Chris Hill, a militia leader from McDonough, and nine of his Georgia Security Force III%, took a position behind a barricade about 100 yards away.
From his position behind the barricade, Hill began talking in his cell phone where he was recording video.
“They will try their best to characterize us as white supremacists,” he said. Hill said his group was there to defend the constitution against radical leftists, while also addressing a variety of grievances – from gun control to reiterating the president’s concerns that voting via email would result in fraud.
“It simply came to our notice then. People kill each other over ideology, ”Hill said, saving his arm against an assault rifle. ‘They’re going against Trump supporters and – dare I say it? – blank. ”
Hill’s militia of 10, unbelievably many, was joined later that morning by other militias, along with sympathizers who appeared in pickup trucks lined with Confederate flags.
8/15/20 – Stone Mountain, GA – Various far-right groups, including militias and white supremacists, rallied Saturday in Stone Mountain, and a broad coalition of left-wing anti-racist groups staged a counter-demonstration there. authorities close Stone Mountain park. Jenni Girtman for the Atlanta Journal Constitution
Credit: Jenni Girtman
Credit: Jenni Girtman
Crowd swells before police enter
Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck. Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck.
Tracy Baisden, a Black woman from Atlanta, participated in a lengthy discussion with a white man who identified himself only as Zach because the man expressed his desire that races remain separate. Like many such face-to-face meetings not much was arranged.
“I think this young man is lost,” Baisden said of Zach.
8/15/20 – Stone Mountain, GA – Protesters face off with protesters as various far-right groups, including militias and white supremacists, rally Saturday in Stone Mountain, and a broad coalition of left-wing anti-racist groups organize a counter-demonstration there after local authorities closed Stone Mountain park. Jenni Girtman for the Atlanta Journal Constitution
Credit: Jenni Girtman
Credit: Jenni Girtman
Militants sprayed several opponents with insect repellent and pepper spray, and several people on both sides were beaten to the ground. A counter-protester ripped off the face mask of an Associated Press photographer as he tried to document the scene.
8/15/20 – Stone Mountain, GA – Protesters from both sides fight over a Confederate flag as several groups far to the right, including militias and white supremacists, rally Saturday in Stone Mountain, and a broad coalition of left-wing anti-racists groups organized a counter-demonstration there after local authorities closed Stone Mountain park. Alyssa Pointer / [email protected]
Credit: Alyssa Pointer
Credit: Alyssa Pointer
The sides recorded video of each other, and the entire scene was heavily documented by news photographers, journalists and various documentary filmmakers. Many participants on both sides also streamed the protest on their phones.
By noon, the audience had swum to a combined total of more than 500, many of whom mingled in a chaotic scrum outside Stone Mountain Methodist Church.
8/15/20 – Stone Mountain, GA – Protesters and anti-Protestants march in Stone Mountain after Stone Mountain Park closes. Several far-right groups, including militias and white supremacists, were planning to ride Saturday at Stone Mountain, and a broad coalition of left-wing anti-racist groups is organizing a counterattack. Local authorities, who have closely monitored online conversations about the rally, are safe from possible conflict. Jenni Girtman for the Atlanta Journal Constitution
Credit: Jenni Girtman
Credit: Jenni Girtman
While counter-demonstrators accused the militia members and their supporters of racism, a Florida militia member who gave his call sign as “Rick Rat” promoted that his participation was not “a racial thing.”
“Everyone needs to come together and march on DC and get all the damn Democrats out of office,” he said. “What I think they’re trying to do is start a race war.”
Rick then started a version of a popular internet conspiracy theory, known as QAnon, and accused an unnamed group of ‘elites’ in Washington of pedophiles.
“They kill the children and sell their organs,” he said.
8/15/20 – Stone Mountain, GA – Police begin moving in as several far-right groups, including militias and white supremacists, rally Saturday in Stone Mountain, and a broad coalition of left-wing anti-racist groups organize a counter-demonstration there after local authorities closed Stone Mountain park. Alyssa Pointer / [email protected]
Credit: Alyssa Pointer
Credit: Alyssa Pointer
At 1 p.m., after an uptick in fighting between the groups, police marched through downtown with riot signs and dispersed the crowd. Behind the police, a unit of the National Guard waited in case they were needed, but the vast majority of Protestants left peacefully. By 2 p.m., Stone Mountain was quiet in downtown.
Stone Mountain Police Chief Chancey Troutman said he told the groups they had three minutes to disperse.
“If they had not dispersed in those three minutes, there would have been arrests,” he said.
DeKalb police officer Mirtha V. Ramos said in a statement Saturday night that “thanks to a coordinated effort led by DeKalb County police in close cooperation with the City of Stone Mountain” there were no arrests and no use of force.
AJC personnel writer Shaddi Abusaid contributed to this report.
