A two-hour Ku Klux Klan rally is planned Saturday afternoon in the north Georgia town of Ellijay.

The Gilmer County courthouse will be the site of the rally, and extra security has been called in to handle any problems, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported.

“Our desire is that they come and go without any type of situation occurring,” Gilmer County Lt. Frank Copeland, who has been assigned to coordinate security, told the newspaper. “We will be there to protect county property and to protect any citizens that may be there. That’s our job.”

The Georgia NAACP has voiced its opposition to the planned rally taking place on Sept. 11, the Times Free Press reported.

“The fact that this rally is taking place on the anniversary of the bombing of the World Trade Center is reflective of the lack of sensitivity that exists within this organization,” said Edward DuBose, Georgia NAACP president.

** Read the Times Free Press story.

About the Author

Featured

In 2022, Georgia Power projected its winter peak electricity demand would grow by about 400 megawatts by 2031. Since then, Georgia has experienced a boom of data centers, which require a large load of electricty to run, and Georgia Power's recent forecast shows peak demand growing by 20 times the 400-megawatt estimate from just three years ago. (Illustration by Philip Robibero/AJC)

Credit: Illustration: Philip Robibero / AJC