Newnan Plans Dueling Unity Event as Neo-Nazis Prepare To Rally
Officials in Newnan are preparing for a rally later this month by the National Socialist Movement. Law enforcement from around the area are planning on helping to keep the peace.
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Neo Nazis are planning a public gathering in Newnan, Georgia, about an hour south west of Atlanta, later this month. The city couldn’t legally deny them a permit, so police are preparing to batten down the hatches.
Some 20 nearby law enforcement agencies have offered to help keep the peace on April 21. That’s when the National Socialist Movement is planning to rally in a city park.
Ryan Lenz is with the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups.
“The National Socialist Movement is a vicious anti-Semitic organization that has involved itself in the immigration debate and all manners of other racist expression, but primarily they are the modern day adherents to Nazi ideologies,” Lenz said.
He said turnout for these demonstrations can be hit or miss.
“Sometimes they draw hundreds. Sometimes they draw nothing more than a handful of people waving a flag on a street corner,” Lenz said.
Newnan Mayor pro tem Cynthia Jenkins says it’s still unclear the city was chosen, but their biggest worry is a repeat of the deadly rally in Charlottesville.
“That’s exactly what’s on our mind. That is of course is what our police department is thinking about right now. How do we avoid that kind of situation here in our hometown?” said Jenkins.
City leaders in Newnan are organizing a multi-faith service to draw attention, and would-be counter-protestors, away from a neo-Nazi rally planned there later this month.
CORRECTION: This report has been corrected to show that Newnan, Georgia, is south west of Atlanta.
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