STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. — The Confederate Memorial Day event draws several Confederate supporters each year.

It also draws a number of protestors who believe Stone Mountain is a state park and the event should not be held here.

It’s been a tense few years of Confederate memorial events at Stone Mountain.

In 2020, a violent clash between protestors and Confederate supporters took place.

Times have changed and things have to change,” Meymoona Freeman said.

Freeman is with the Stone Mountain Action Coalition they held a rally nearby on Saturday.

She said she doesn’t condone the violence but believes the event has been a symbol of hate for years.

“The fact that the confederates when they come, they bring a lot of antagonistic and dangerous individuals to the community,” she said.

Dee McComas traveled from West Virginia for the occasion.

“I want to honor my ancestors southern and northern,” he said. “And I’m not racist one bit I love my black brothers and sisters, I’m a Christian, it’s just to honor our history.”

But they have said in years past they are not racist and don’t support hate against other groups.

Georgia State Representative Bill Mitchell is proposing a bill next legislative session that would take away protections the park has that preserves the confederacy.

©2023 Cox Media Group