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(PHOTOS) Demonstrators protest Confederate Day observances at Stone Mountain Park

Stone Mountain

(PHOTOS) Demonstrators protest Confederate Day observances at Stone Mountain Park

Porchse Miller from the NAACP, on left, chants toward Confederate Day observances being held by the Sons of Confederate Veterans at Stone Mountain Park on Saturday, April 30, 2022. Photo by Dean Hesse.
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Stone Mountain, GA — On Saturday, April 30, around 100 demonstrators from the NAACP, Stone Mountain Action Coalition and other civil-rights groups gathered in Stone Mountain Village before marching into Stone Mountain Park to protest Confederate Day observances organized by the Sons of Confederate Veterans at Stone Mountain Park.

“The people of Georgia do not deserve to have their taxpayer money protecting neo- Confederates and neo-Nazis and we shouldn’t have neo-Nazis and neo-Confederates having a ceremony celebrating enslavement in a public park,” said Sally Stanhope, from Stone Mountain Action Coalition.” It’s the 21st century and if we continue to allow these celebratory gestures, then were going to be empowering in Georgia, groups of individuals who don’t want justice and equity in our community.”

The Southern Poverty Law Center and Stone Mountain Action Coalition had called for the Stone Mountain Memorial Association, which manages the park, to deny a permit for the event.

“We are 157 years after the end of the civil war, but we’re still fighting all of these monuments … a continuation of the principle of the civil war, which said Black people were innately inferior to white people… they continue to uphold the philosophy of the Confederacy, the philosophy of white supremacy and when government endorses it, that is the trouble we have,”Atlanta NAACP president Richard Rose told Decaturish. “People are entitled to free speech in America, but the government, our state of Georgia, should not be endorsing white supremacy. We have to continue to voice our dissent to what the state does. Silence gives consent, and we want to make sure they know we do not consent to continue promotion and support of white supremacy by the state of Georgia.”

Demonstrators made their way from the village to the mountain’s walk-up trail, where Georgia NAACP president Gerald Griggs directed comments to patrons of the park asking them to not “Play at the Plantation” until things change. Demonstrators then marched down Robert E. Lee Boulevard to the Memorial Lawn where they held signs and chanted during the Confederate Day activities. The groups were separated by two fences and a contingency of Georgia State Troopers. The event ended without incident.

Meymoona Freeman, founder of Stone Mountain Action Coalition and Stone Mountain Action Black Alliance, looks toward Stone Mountain Park from Main Street in Stone Mountain Village before around 100 demonstrators marched into Stone Mountain Park to protest a Confederate Day observance being held by the Sons of Confederate Veterans on Saturday, April 30, 2022. “I hope to come here today to show the Stone Mountain Park SMMA (Stone Mountain Memorial Association) that it is very vital that they protect not only this, city Stone Mountain City, but they protect the patrons and the employees of this park. They are inviting and supporting racist, hateful, neo-Nazi, KKK, skinhead, Aryan Nations groups to come here and create chaos for this 85 percent Black community,” Freeman said. Photo by Dean Hesse.

Activist Shenita Binns speaks to demonstrators assembled in Stone Mountain Village before they marched to Stone Mountain Park to protest a Confederate Day observance being held by the Sons of Confederate Veterans on Saturday, April 30, 2022. “I’m born and raised in the state of Georgia. This is my heritage. I am accustomed to white supremacy. I’m here to fight with the NAACP, fight for our rights to take hate down and to continue the legacy that our ancestors have left for us to continue the struggle and hopefully put an end to racism,” Binns told Decaturish. Photo by Dean Hesse.

Demonstrators assembled in Stone Mountain Village hold protest signs before marching into Stone Mountain Park to protest a Confederate Day observance being held by the Sons of Confederate Veterans on Saturday, April 30, 2022. Photo by Dean Hesse.

Georgia State Representative Billy Mitchell speaks to demonstrators assembled in Stone Mountain Village before they marched to Stone Mountain Park to protest a Confederate Day observance being held by the Sons of Confederate Veterans on Saturday, April 30, 2022. “This is an area that I represent in the state assembly and I tell you it’s ridiculous that we have to come together for this event. It should not have been scheduled,” Mitchell said. Photo by Dean Hesse.

From left, Porchse Miller from the NAACP, NAACP Georgia president Gerald Griggs and activist Shenita Binns lead demonstrators into Stone Mountain Park to protest a Confederate Day observance being held by the Sons of Confederate Veterans on Saturday, April 30, 2022. Photo by Dean Hesse.

NAACP Georgia president Gerald Griggs speaks on the mountain’s walk-up trail during a protest against Confederate Day observances being held by the Sons of Confederate Veterans at Stone Mountain Park on Saturday, April 30, 2022. Photo by Dean Hesse.

Atlanta NAACP president Richard Rose speaks on the mountain’s walk-up trail during a protest against Confederate Day observances being held by the Sons of Confederate Veterans at Stone Mountain Park on Saturday, April 30, 2022. Photo by Dean Hesse.

Demonstrators march down Robert E. Lee Boulevard in Stone Mountain Park to protest Confederate Day observances being held by the Sons of Confederate Veterans on Saturday, April 30, 2022. Photo by Dean Hesse.

A park police officer watches as demonstrators march down Robert E. Lee Boulevard in Stone Mountain Park to protest Confederate Day observances being held by the Sons of Confederate Veterans on Saturday, April 30, 2022. Photo by Dean Hesse.

Demonstrators march down Robert E. Lee Boulevard in Stone Mountain Park to protest Confederate Day observances being held by the Sons of Confederate Veterans on Saturday, April 30, 2022. Photo by Dean Hesse.

Demonstrators descend on a Confederate Day observance being held by the Sons of Confederate Veterans at Stone Mountain Park on Saturday, April 30, 2022. The two groups were separated by two fences and a contingency of Georgia State Patrol troopers. Photo by Dean Hesse.

A demonstrator flies an American flag during a protest against Confederate Day observances being held by the Sons of Confederate Veterans at Stone Mountain Park on Saturday, April 30, 2022. Photo by Dean Hesse.

A demonstrator gestures toward Confederate Day observances being held by the Sons of Confederate Veterans at Stone Mountain Park on Saturday, April 30, 2022. Photo by Dean Hesse.

Demonstrators hold signs toward Confederate Day observances being held by the Sons of Confederate Veterans at Stone Mountain Park on Saturday, April 30, 2022. Photo by Dean Hesse.

Demonstrators hold signs and chant toward Confederate Day observances being held by the Sons of Confederate Veterans at Stone Mountain Park on Saturday, April 30, 2022. Photo by Dean Hesse.

A man waves a Confederate flag while demonstrators chant from across the Memorial Lawn during Confederate Day observances organized by the Sons of Confederate Veterans at Stone Mountain on Saturday, April 30, 2022. Photo by Dean Hesse.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans closed out their Confederate Day observation at Stone Mountain Park on Saturday, April 30, 2022 with a volley from replica civil war era cannons and the singing of “Dixie” while demonstrators chanted behind them. Photo by Dean Hesse.

Eric Cleveland, on left, wearing a replica Confederate officer’s uniform and a man who declined to be identified pose for photos with demonstrators in the background during Confederate Day observances organized by the Sons of Confederate Veterans at Stone Mountain on Saturday, April 30, 2022. Photo by Dean Hesse.

Eric Cleveland, dressed in a replica Confederate officer’s uniform, tips his hat toward demonstrators during Confederate Day observances being held by the Sons of Confederate Veterans at Stone Mountain Park on Saturday, April 30, 2022. Photo by Dean Hesse.

Attendees of Confederate Day observances being held by the Sons of Confederate Veterans at Stone Mountain Park look toward demonstrators on Saturday, April 30, 2022. Photo by Dean Hesse.

A man flies a Confederate flag in front of demonstrators during Confederate Day observances being held by the Sons of Confederate Veterans at Stone Mountain Park on Saturday, April 30, 2022. Photo by Dean Hesse.

Demonstrators hold signs and gesture toward Confederate Day observances being held by the Sons of Confederate Veterans at Stone Mountain Park on Saturday, April 30, 2022. Photo by Dean Hesse.

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