ANTIFA/BLM And Supporters Of Confederate Statues Violently Clashed At Stone Mountain

Militia groups and heavily armed right-wing activists gathered Saturday outside Stone Mountain, Georgia to hold a rally in support of the Confederate monument on the mountain's North Face. The event was countered by the F.L.O.W.E.R. Coalition (FrontLine Organization Working to End Racism), a group of protesters - some armed - who view the monument as a lasting relic to white supremacy.

Violence broke out between the two sides, with brawls leaving several injuries. No shots were fired, and no arrests were made.

Police stayed out of the conflict for the first five hours. In the early afternoon, police declared the event unlawful and forced both sides to disperse.

The carving, which had been worked on until 1928, depicts Confederate leaders Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and Stonewall Jackson. It was originally funded in part with aid from the Ku Klux Klan. In 1960, the State of Georgia bought the property, rendering it a state park.

The City of Stone Mountain announced Friday evening that the entire park would be closed due to the demonstrations.