KKK plans protest; Sheriff asks public to stay away

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — Members of the Mississippi Ku Klux Klan are coming to Douglas County to protest the prison sentence two people received for their involvement in terrorizing a black family's birthday party.

The Douglas County sheriff says he is planning to make sure the march is peaceful.

People who live, work and do business in Douglas County say the KKK needs to stay away.

"I mean, what is that going to do but cause more problems?" DeAndre Lovelace said outside the Douglas County Courthouse.

"It’s a disgusting group and they should definitely not be a part of any population," another man said.

Members of the North Mississippi White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan plan to protest at the Courthouse Sunday at noon.

TRENDING STORIES:

The imperial wizard of the group, Steve Howard, is upset about the sentencing of Jose Torres and Kayla Norton.

Torres received 13 years in prison and Norton was given a six-year term after authorities say they drove past a party for an 8-year-old black child, and waved Confederate flags and guns, and threatened to kill people.

Howard called the sentence a tragedy in published reports. He says Torres and Norton were doing a flag run when they were attacked.

Residents say the KKK is misinformed.

"They're disconnected. They clearly have an agenda. That's from a different time and a different day," Ross Johnson said.

"If it's the other way around, I don't think they would be doing all that. Know what I'm saying but I’m going to just leave it like that," Derrell Washington said.

Deandre Lovelace says the KKK needs to get over it.

"They did the crime, now they got to do the time,” Lovelace said.

Sheriff Tim Pounds says the KKK has a right to protest and he has been meeting with other law enforcement to make sure the protest doesn't get out of hand.

He's asking people to stay away, calling the KKK riffraff.

So far, Howard has not responded to requests for comment.