Over 100 members of Confederate group ride through Stone Mountain Park despite being denied permit

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Stone Mountain Park Police said a group of over 100 motorcyclists with the Sons of Confederate Veterans rode through the park Saturday despite being denied a permit to gather.

The Georgia chapter of the group had petitioned to host a Confederate Memorial Day event, which has been celebrated at the park for almost two decades on April 26.

The Stone Mountain Memorial Association recently denied this year’s permit.

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Stone Mountain Police spokesman John Bankhead said at least 110 motorcycles and several trucks rode through the park and took pictures near Memorial Hall. The group had a police escort, though they were not Stone Mountain Police and it’s unclear which jurisdiction police came from.

Bankhead said the group was peaceful.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans claim to be the oldest hereditary organization for male descendants of Confederate vets. The group was organized in 1896.

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The Memorial Association said they denied the permit because of an ordinance declaring large events should be denied if they create “a clear and present danger to public health or safety.”

“With the volatile nature of events of the immediate past and ongoing today, there is a clear and present danger to members of the [Sons of Confederate Veterans], potential counter protesters, park employees and guests,” an association spokesman said.

Stone Mountain Park has drawn criticism for its Confederate monument, which many groups have called to be removed from the face of the mountain.

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