DeKalb County

Group plans to protest pro-white rally at Stone Mountain

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A group is planning to protest a white supremacist rally at Stone Mountain, but it is running into trouble.

The pro-white rally is scheduled for April 23. A second Confederate heritage group is also planning to rally.

“Rock Stone Mountain,” a self-described pro-white organization is heading up the rally.

The organization’s leader, John Estes, said on Facebook, “We are planning a pro-white march up Stone Mountain on April 23rd, to be followed by a pro-white concert.”

The coalition group “All Out Atlanta” is handing out fliers, asking for a big turnout at Stone Mountain to stop them.

Marlon Kautz, who represents the group, says they feel the urgent need to stop what they call white supremacist groups.

“White supremacy is coming out of the woodwork in our society, and we can’t ignore that anymore. We need to confront it and shut it down,” he said.

Through an open records request Channel 2 Action News learned that Rock Stone Mountain applied for and received a rally permit. As a public park, Stone Mountain has to grant the permit by law.

The Confederate group also has a legal rally permit.

All Out Atlanta does not have a permit, so Stone Mountain police said they will have to deal with those demonstrators if they show up.

“We’ll have to deal with that when it happens, but there is a permitting process. It’s a new ordinance that’s just been implemented in the last several months,” Stone Mountain Park police spokesperson John Bankhead said.

Bankhead said Stone Mountain would rather not have a pro-white rally at the park.

“First of all, we don’t condone any of this. We wish they would take their rallies and go some other place,” he said. “This is a family-oriented park for people to come and enjoy what this park has to offer, so we wish they would go some other place.”

Stone Mountain police plan on bringing in extra security to keep all the demonstrators away from each other.