Monthly Archives: January 2019

Image via Wikipedia.

The Rock Stone Mountain white power rally – which was scheduled for Feb. 2 – has been canceled by its organizers.

According to a press release sent out this afternoon by rally spokesman Mike Weaver, on the advice of “legal consultants that have been advising us on the execution of our demonstration, we have decided that it is best to reschedule the event at a later date.”

The reasoning, he wrote, is twofold. First, their inability to obtain a permit will increase the liability of anyone attending the event, and there isn’t enough time to challenge the rejection legally. “Given the rejection of our permit vs. the time approaching for the event date, we did not have enough of a window to start the process of a court case,” Weaver wrote.

Second, the Super Bowl will be monopolizing law enforcement’s attention, and the fear of violence from counter-protesters without police protection troubled the group. “The lack of a police force on the scene would force us into the position of having to take our own security measures,” Weaver wrote. “This will take away focus and purpose of what we are trying to do and put attention on our opposition.”

Weaver went on to cite the response from the Frontline Organization Working to End Racism, or FLOWER, in his reasoning for canceling the event – specifically the Atlanta Journal-Constitution article in which author Chris Joyner interviewed FLOWER representative Sean Wolters. The article states:

“When asked if the group planned to brawl with the Rock Stone Mountain group, Wolters noted groups like the Klan only gather when they have police protection. Absent that, he wouldn’t rule out violence.”

Weaver goes on to explain Wolters was quoted in the article saying, “Anyone who is going to go out and wave KKK paraphernalia in the South and at Stone Mountain, they are going to be challenged.”

Weaver feels the rally, at this point, is not worth the perceived and implied risks. “Simply put, with the lack of a police presence, permit and the threat of violence from groups such as Anti Fa [sic], we do not want to put anyone attending this rally in a position where too much is at risk, he wrote. “This includes being subject to their doxing and harassment of people and their employers.”

UPDATE: FLOWER has responded to the cancellation. “[This is] a complete vindication of the broader antiracist strategy of relentless opposition to white supremacy,” a FLOWER representative wrote to Atlanta Loop. “This anti-racist opposition involves multiple levels, including cultural, legal, financial and physical.”

The group says the victory is a positive step, but feels as long as the carvings of confederate leadership on Stone Mountain remain, the site will inspire other groups of white supremacists to rally, as they have done for decades. The group is calling for the removal of the sculpture to send a clear message that the south’s racist past should not be romanticized.

Although the rally is canceled, FLOWER is still planning to organize on Feb. 2. “We will still mobilize at the announced time and place of 9 a.m. on E. Mountain Street and Main, but in a spirit of celebration,” the representative wrote. “We encourage the whole community to show up and celebrate this victory.”

Image via Pexels.

Two suspects have been arrested after a rash of car thefts and auto break-ins have occurred in and around Buckhead.

The Atlanta Police Department, with assistance from the East Point Police Department and the Georgia State Patrol, apprehend Michael Hill and Jaquantay Campbell early this morning, according to police materials. Both are charged with burglary and entering auto.

Three suspects in total came to the area around Moores Mill Road and Northside Parkway where they burglarized the garages of five homes, according to the police report. The suspects stole a total of four vehicles, two were taken from the area two were left nearby.

Zone 2 investigators were able to track the suspects East Point. Two of the three suspects were then apprehended with the help of the East Point Police and the Georgia State Patrol, according to the police report. After the arrests, investigators were able to recover the remaining stolen vehicles.

During the arrest, officers located a stolen handgun on one of the suspects, police materials indicate. At this time, this is considered an ongoing, active investigation.

“Atlanta Police Investigators are going over evidence and sorting through the stolen property we’ve recovered APD Public Affairs Sgt. John Chaffee shared. “We are working to determine whether these suspects are linked to any other crimes.”

As always, Information related to this case can be submitted anonymously to the Crime Stoppers Atlanta tip line at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or online at www.stopcrimeatl.com. Those submitting information do not have to give their name or any personal information and may be eligible for a cash reward.

Image via DOE/NNSA.

Did you notice the helicopter flying low over the city today? Atlanta Police say there’s no reason to be alarmed.

The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration is conducting low-altitude helicopter flights over the Buckhead are on Jan. 28 and 29 as well as on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 3, according to a DOE/NNSA release shared by APD.

The flyovers will measure naturally occurring background radiation in part of security measures for the Super Bowl, program materials explain. The measurement of naturally occurring radiation to establish baseline levels is a normal part of security and emergency preparedness.

The twin-engine helicopter will be flying in a grid pattern over the areas at 150 feet or higher at a speed of approximately 80 miles per hour, according to program materials. It is equipped with radiation-sensing technology and is operated by NNSA’s Remote Sensing Laboratory Aerial Measuring System at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C.

The helicopter will fly Flyovers will occur only during the day and are estimated to take roughly three hours each to complete, program materials indicate. Click here to learn more about the program.

Stone Mountain. Image via Wikipedia.

UPDATED JAN. 25: The permit for the Rock Stone Mountain II white power rally was denied by Stone Mountain Park officials in November, but the refusal may not stop hate groups from gathering.

On Jan. 19, an update was posted to the Rock Stone Mountain Facebook page, stating that although their permit was denied and no lawyer was willing to legally challenge the rejection, Confederate groups and white supremacists should still plan to visit the park on Feb. 2.

“Groups of 25 or less are not required to file a permit, the post reads. “This is a clarion call to every Nationalist group, Confederate organization, and every individual that has the courage to stand against the rise of Communism to visit Stone Mountain on February 2 and to make your presence known – loud and proud.”

The organizers of this rally are the same who planned the 2016 rally of the same name, according to the AJC. Only about two dozen white supremacists showed up for the event, but it drew hundreds of counter-demonstrators that ended in violent confrontations.

“If you want to flag the entrances, do that. If you want to rally before the carving, do that. If you want to defend the park from Antifa vandals, do that,” the post reads. “If you are coming alone you shall surely find somewhere to fit in. This is a public park. Let’s show them it’s still a free country and make the entire park our playground.”

Michael Weaver, the event’s spokesperson, reached out to Atlanta Loop via email saying, “both the U.S. Constitution and the Georgia State Constitution Trumps their ordinance.” He then linked to several blog posts on the White Information Network that claim to prove park officials had no legal basis for denying the rally’s permit.

Weaver, whose given name is Michael Carothers, pleaded guilty in 2011 to aggravated assault for pepper spraying a black man in Columbus, Ga., according to the AJC. Weaver was banished from the six-county Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit as part of his sentence, they report.

The plan to go ahead with unsanctioned rally prompted several left-wing organizations, under the umbrella coalition called Frontline Organization Working to End Racism, or FLOWER, to organize a counter protest. FLOWER representation told Atlanta Loop they will also be coming together loosely rather than formally organizing and as such, have not sought a permit from the park.

“The FLOWER anti-racist coalition views this as a clear threat to marginalized communities and any opponents of racist monuments, and in response will mobilize a mass presence at Stone Mountain Park that day, to block white supremacists who are now planning a decentralized invasion of the park,” the group’s statement reads.

Stone Mountain Police weren’t immediately available for comment on the rally, but the AJC notes that in 2016 the small force was able to rely on Georgia State Police to help quell violence in the park. Now, with the Super Bowl in town, that support might not be forthcoming.

However, FLOWER representation told Atlanta Loop violence is not their priority. “FLOWER is a broad coalition of different groups. Many of these groups are committed to nonviolent resistance,” a group spokesperson wrote via email. “Other groups are committed to the right of self-defense against racism and repression. However, all of us agree with the points of unity listed on the website, and all of us want to keep the greater community of Stone Mountain safe from racist violence.”

This story is ongoing and will be updated as new information is released.