WSB-TV in Atlanta reports that authorities spent about five to six weeks preparing for a rally in Newnan, Ga., by the National Socialist Movement, a Michigan-based “white civil rights organization.” Today was the big day — at least for protesters and law enforcement, who dwarfed the tiny neo-Nazi gathering.
The rally started late and ended promptly at 5 p.m. when the city pulled the plug, according to the permit.
Lining up.. pic.twitter.com/7MbmQq8dpn
— Tyisha Fernandes (@TyishaWSB) April 21, 2018
NeoNazi rally folks haven't shown up yet, so we're still outside the barricades with counter protestors pic.twitter.com/sbWdvaVjht
— Tyisha Fernandes (@TyishaWSB) April 21, 2018
If you look behind these officers you’ll see that this #Newnan park where the Neo-Nazi rally was to be held, is still empty. It’s now an hour after the rally was supposed to start pic.twitter.com/xZ2RaVJSLJ
— Christian Jennings (@CJenningsWSB) April 21, 2018
And they're here #Newnan pic.twitter.com/L2SHcUP4qa
— Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) April 21, 2018
Wow, that’s a pretty small group, considering …
42 different law enforcement agencies were here today…
— Christian Jennings (@CJenningsWSB) April 21, 2018
700 officers total here today
— Christian Jennings (@CJenningsWSB) April 21, 2018
An anti-racist protester with a gun #Newnan pic.twitter.com/zq6QUHX8jx
— Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) April 21, 2018
It looks like a military occupation in #Newnan pic.twitter.com/yYXcp1GZp5
— Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) April 21, 2018
Larger groups coming in to protest pic.twitter.com/6kXZoNSpSl
— Christian Jennings (@CJenningsWSB) April 21, 2018
NeoNazi group just assembled in a Newnan park. We've got 3 crews covering this. 1 camera man is inside the rally & 2 crews are outside the perimeter. pic.twitter.com/MCr5LzFqEK
— Tyisha Fernandes (@TyishaWSB) April 21, 2018
NSM finally arrives in the park #Newnan pic.twitter.com/34DHOchbkf
— Chris Joyner (@cjoyner) April 21, 2018
“We are the true patriots” — NSM leader #Newnan pic.twitter.com/OwprvIOllq
— Chris Joyner (@cjoyner) April 21, 2018
The master race is having some technical difficulties #Newnan pic.twitter.com/nxMtUKU2JV
— Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) April 21, 2018
Nazi leader Schoep now saying him and his crew are "alpha males" and is whining that men wear skinny jeans these days and look like "homosexuals."
The mind reels at how much money #Newnan spent on security for this bull shit.
— Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) April 21, 2018
League of South dude in #newnan just said "westerm civilization is white civilization" and "without western civilization, there is no civilization." pic.twitter.com/W6P7ebBF1g
— Stephen Deere (@stephencdeere) April 21, 2018
The Nazis' sound system was cut off and they were kicked out of the park promptly at 5pm, when their permit ended #Newnan pic.twitter.com/13vNi0PLxG
— Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) April 21, 2018
As NeoNazi rally group wraps up and leaves the stage – counter protestors chant "Time's up – go home" Live report on every angle of this at 6pm on Ch2 pic.twitter.com/X8AxZAbSgs
— Tyisha Fernandes (@TyishaWSB) April 21, 2018
There were only 10 reported arrests, and Christopher Mathias of HuffPost seemed most concerned with the aggressiveness with which law enforcement enforced the “no masks” policy with antifa.
Tense situation in #Newnan. Cops telling anti-fascists to remove masks or be arrested pic.twitter.com/dj7F9UW8EY
— Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) April 21, 2018
I just witness the most over-aggressive policing I've ever seen in #Newnan. Tackling protesters and arresting them… for wearing masks. pic.twitter.com/Mf1e5cfKH2
— Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) April 21, 2018
Police rush into a crowded protest at the Nazi rally to snatch and arrest someone, allegedly for wearing a red bandana on their face — multiple protesters have been tackled and arrested for masks already today. pic.twitter.com/OdVXUpixHT
— Jack Smith IV (@JackSmithIV) April 21, 2018
Police weren’t messing around with the ban on masks:
Georgia does have an anti-mask law that has been used in the past against counter protesters. #newnan https://t.co/kKW1c271Ij https://t.co/EdGoZ2q44H
— stephen fowler | georgia politics reporter (@stphnfwlr) April 21, 2018
Georgia is one of the states with an anti-mask law (anti-mask laws in the US were an anti-Klan measure).
— Mark Pitcavage (@egavactip) April 21, 2018
Mathias does have a point, though — the mind does boggle at how much must have been spent on security to ensure this group had the right to express themselves, no matter how heinous the message.
All is quiet now. Businesses are closed. Almost everyone is gone. #Newnan pic.twitter.com/1WpYRPbalg
— Christian Jennings (@CJenningsWSB) April 21, 2018
Related:
Auburn takes Berkeley to school as police unmask anti-fascists outside Richard Spencer speech https://t.co/KAvquF4jlA
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) April 19, 2017
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