Stone Mountain Park in Georgia closes off ahead of expected militia rally

ATLANTA (Reuters) – With Internet rumors of a bitter conflict between an anti-government militia, white supremacist rally-goers and counter-protesters, Georgia state officials said Stone Mountain Park, famous for its enormous confusion of Confederate leaders, will be closed to the public on Saturday.

The Three Percenters militia had requested last month to hold a more than 2,000-strong rally “to defend and protect our history and Second Amendment” on August 15 in the park northeast of Atlanta. The request was denied by state officials, who cited violence at a similar event in 2016.

But several online groups, including one called “Defending Stone Mountain,” promised to march into the park anyway and asked participants to come up with Confederate and US flags. Another group, the Antifacists of Atlanta, promised to hold a counter-protest.

Park officials were not immediately available for comment late Friday, but said in a brief statement that the park will be closed on Saturday due to safety concerns.

The town of Stone Mountain, home to about 6,000 residents, also issued a statement urging the public to avoid the area.

Stone Mountain Park, which attracts more than 4 million visitors a year to its 3,200-acre forest and trails and amusement park, is home to the largest monument to the American Civil War Confederation.

Park officials have received renewed calls for the removal of his nine-story high-relief relief sculpture by Confederate leaders since the May 25 death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, in the hands of Minneapolis police .

Floyd’s assassination helped rekindle a long-running conflict between groups seeking the abolition of Confederate statues and sculptures, which they see as pro-slavery symbols, and those who believe they share the traditions and history of the South. honor.