This past Saturday, Stone Mountain Park attractions were closed following a heated confrontation between police and two groups of protesters.
The two groups, "Rock Stone Mountain," meant to "protest efforts to erase the white race," and "All Out Atlanta," an anti-racism group, both had permits to to be at the park, each sanctioned to protest from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In all, nine protesters were arrested after failing to comply with park ordinances.
PHOTOS | Mugshots of Stone Mountain protesters
But only on the other side of the state, a larger rally took place later in Rome, Ga.It was a demonstration that drew swastikas, Ku-Klux-Klan garb, and again, a larger number of counter-protesters. So, it raises the question: how much has the “white power” population grown? The answer, according to experts? Not very.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, the KKK at its height held 75,000 to 100,000 members, but a half-century later, they hold a tiny fraction of that. The face of white supremacy has become stagnant and spread out, with social media engaging more individuals and fewer large groups.
"These groups decided it was going to be Georgia where this (the rallies) happened," said Mark Pitcavage with the Anti-Defamation League. "It's a good thing they haven't grown, but it doesn't take very many of them to become a problem for a community."
At every step, these so-called pro-white rallies have been dwarfed by counter-rallies. It's why those rallies, in the ADL's eyes, tend to draw more attention than they're worth.
“There are far more Georgians of goodwill who want to live in peace and harmony with everybody around them," Pitcavage said.
Meanwhile, Stone Mountain Park has itself been facing heat for allowing such demonstrations, but there's not much the park can do. Because it’s a state park, it means groups like this past Saturday's "Rock Stone Mountain" cannot be legally stopped.
PHOTOS: Groups hold opposing protests at Stone Mountain
There has always been tension between the park's present and its Confederate and KKK-marked past. That's why officials told 11Alive’s Matt Pearl they briefly discussed ways to prevent Saturday's protest, and they're thinking about it again moving forward.
In a statement from public information officer for Stone Mountain Park Police John Bankhead, he says officials are "further examining the options that might be available under park ordinances, Georgia law, and Federal law, to prevent or control such volatile events in the future. We will be looking at all additional options to balance the safety of the public vs. the right to freedom of speech."
PHOTOS | Mugshot Gallery
