Eight counter-protesters arrested at a white power rally at Stone Mountain on Saturday were charged with violating an obscure and seldom-used Georgia law that bans the wearing of masks.
Adopted years ago to combat the Ku Klux Klan, police used the measure this weekend to control those demonstrating against the white power agenda. Counter-protesters clashed - sometimes violently - with police on Saturday as they tried to confront organizers of the "Rock Stone Mountain" rally, which drew some two dozen white supremacist supporters.
While the mask law has been in place for decades it hasn’t been used often.
John Bankhead, a spokesman for the Stone Mountain Park Police, said it was an appropriate measure to control a crowd that was becoming unruly.
“It’s intimidating,” he said of the tactic of wearing a mask at a public protest.
Frank Rotondo, executive director of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, said using the mask law is a good strategy to prevent a volatile situation from getting worse.
“There’s no reason to wear a mask in warm weather in a tumultuous situation,” he said.
He said it also sends a message to the crowd that the police are willing to make arrests.
But Corey Martin, of All Out ATL - which led the protest against the white power group - questioned use of the charge.
“It was just a tool for them to suppress the crowd,” he said. Martin called the police “despicable” and said their tactics “showed their true colors.”
Georgia law bans the wearing of masks, hoods or other devices that conceal a person’s identity. The ban applies on public property or on private property where the owner hasn’t consented.
There are exceptions. Those include traditional holiday costumes being worn on the holiday, protective gear worn at sporting events, masks used in theatrical productions and gas masks worn in a drill or an emergency.
Violating the law is misdemeanor and the eight people charged Saturday were released after posting bond.
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