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Confederate Memorial Day rally held at Stone Mountain Park
The rally was organized by the 'Sons of Confederate Veterans,' who said their goal is to honor their families legacies. A group of counter protesters also gathered and called for the removal of the Confederate Monument on Stone Mountain.
STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. - The Sons of Confederate Veterans held a rally for the "Confederate Memorial Day" at Stone Mountain Park.
Hundreds of people gathered on the park's memorial lawn Saturday.
State officials denied the group's request to hold the event last year.
The Southern Poverty Law Center urged Georgians in opposition to the event to contact the Stone Mountain Memorial Association.
SPLC Chief of Staff and Culture Lecia Brooks issued a statement this week:
"This time last year, we were optimistic that Gov. Brian Kemp’s leadership changes to the Stone Mountain Memorial Association (SMMA) would produce a more inclusive – and less offensive – public space for Georgians and visitors to enjoy. But later this month, Stone Mountain Park will once again provide a platform to white nationalists, as it did in 1915 when the Ku Klux Klan was reborn atop the mountain.
"This is a disgraceful reversal for the SMMA, which promised ‘truth-telling’ about the park’s ugly history going forward. Unfortunately, they also continue to accommodate the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), a heritage group that exists to keep the Confederacy’s lies and propaganda alive.
"For the park to authorize their presence yet again, after repeated pleas from local activists like the Stone Mountain Action Coalition to reject such arrogant displays of white privilege, serves as a direct blow and insult to the city’s majority Black community, Georgians, and tourists. Allowing SCV to celebrate the values of the Confederacy on public land validates the rhetoric of SCV and its keynote speaker, which sends a dangerous message that Stone Mountain continues to be a safe space for white nationalists to gather.
"Unlike Stone Mountain Park, there are states that respect the sentiments of communities that want symbols of hate removed from their public spaces. From Virginia to South Carolina to Puerto Rico, Americans are recognizing that the true legacy of the Confederacy was to preserve the institution of slavery and promote white supremacy."