Thread by @afainatl

(THREAD) With the racist/far-Right rallies approaching next Saturday, August 15, let's discuss how Stone Mountain Park has served as a focal point for far-Right organizers in recent years.

https://twitter.com/flowerunited/status/1289182351692410880

Obviously, Stone Mountain has a much longer racist history. It was the birthplace of the modern Ku Klux Klan.

The State of Georgia purchased the site as a display of defiance toward the Civil Rights movement.

History: web.archive.org/web/2016031502…

We'll start with the Rock Stone Mountain rally in April 2016.

A rather arbitrary starting point: RSM was preceded by 2015 pro-Confederate rallies at the Park following the Charleston massacre.

RSM was a clear white power rally & met fierce resistance.

https://twitter.com/IGD_News/status/733038658232582144

On September 10, 2016, local Alt-Right supporters had a small gathering at Stone Mountain and harassed another Park visitor.

Several attendees were members or later joined white power groups such as "ATL-Right" and Identity Evropa.

Documentation: atlantaantifa.org/2016/11/14/doc…

On Oct 1, 2016, the white supremacist Hammerskin Nation gang held its annual "Hammerfest" gathering. In 2016, the event was in Georgia at Pat Lanzo's bar in Draketown which had hosted before.

Gang members visiting Georgia for the racist fest first paid a visit to Stone Mountain.

On August 5, 2017 members of the III% Security Force militia, Proud Boys & pro-Confederates had a small rally at Stone Mountain.

A week later, one attendee, Alex Michael Ramos, took part in a brutal gang assault at "Unite the Right" in Charlottesville VA.
ajc.com/news/crime--la…

The Sacred Knights of the Ku Klux Klan applied for a permit to hold an October 2017 cross burning at Stone Mountain, but their permit was denied.

ajc.com/news/local/kkk…

Patriot Front is a fascist & white nationalist org that emerged after Unite the Right, as a split from and rebranding of Vanguard America.

When a small Patriot Front cluster emerged in metro ATL, one of the first things it did (Dec 2017) was place propaganda at Stone Mountain.

In late 2018, the organizers of the first "Rock Stone Mountain" event announced a follow-up "Rock Stone Mountain 2" racist rally for Feb 2, 2019 - the Saturday before Atlanta hosted the Super Bowl.

The Park denied a permit & racists' organizing collapsed.

https://twitter.com/afainatl/status/1096471553330470912

While all this has been going on, projects such as "Confederate States of America 2" have regularly held events at Stone Mountain.

Sometimes far-Right orgs that work side-by-side with white nationalists have a presence e.g. the Hiwaymen appearing in 2019.

https://twitter.com/GoadGatsby/status/1117114279952625664

Here's an interesting pic posted Dec 2019 by a racist & antisemitic account. The "Goy" t-shirt and the one with a fasces make it clear that this was from a racist/fascist shindig at Stone Mountain.

2nd from L is Heath Hair, who reorganized the Proud Boys in GA & is a PB "elder".

For comparison: Heath Hair is on the right in this photo with other Proud Boys. Look at jacket, patch and button.

This brings us to the upcoming rallies at Stone Mountain on August 15. We have documented the extensive involvement of white nationalists in organizing and promotion for Aug 15.

Stone Mountain Park seemingly provided a permit for the racist rally. #gapol

https://twitter.com/afainatl/status/1291447786299437056

The giant carvings at Stone Mountain are monuments to white supremacy, so it's predictable racist organizers & the far-Right treat the site as their own.

The carvings serve their purpose when they inspire racist organizing. They must go.
Join @flowerunited's protest on the 15th!

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