‘They will not erase our history.’

John Gibbs and James Howard sat perched atop the roof of the pickup truck that carried them from Meriwether County to Stone Mountain Park Saturday morning. The Army of Northern Virginia battle flag – recognized more as the Confederate flag – stood in the bed of the truck. As they waited for the flag rally to start, the lifelong friends talked about what brought them to the park.

“It’s our heritage. It not hate. Not at all,” said Gibbs, 17.