- Greg - I met and became friends with a woman in this picture later, through friends. She looked at my pics and yours and said "That's me and my daughter!" Incidentally, she has done a documentary on migrants and the border. - 57allison
Athens, Alabama KKK (Ku Klux Klan) Rally and Counter-Protests September 2007
I decided to photograph this KKK rally and counter-protest in Athens one Saturday. The speakers spewed the typical paranoid racist filth you'd expect, and I felt sorry for the children whose parents brought them there for indoctrination (so that they too may hate the A-rabs, mexicans, etc.)
Fortunately there were many gawkers and photographers besides myself, who were just there for the freakshow. I heard one woman state "I'm from the west coast and the people back home don't believe we still have these, so I'm getting some pictures to send back!"
A counter-protest (the people with the "Love" signs) was organized by a local church (see this story www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/news/1189... ) and they nearly outnumbered the actual rally. Several chants erupted ("KKK go away!", etc.), and a woman with a big German Shepard walked around quite close to the speakers, shouting angrily back at them.
Several times, police formed a "wall" between the two main factions. When two women approached the main area with a large Mexican flag, they were turned away. All in all, I'd say the police did a surprisingly good job keeping things peaceful while still allowing everyone to express themselves. I didn't see any photographers harassed by law enforcement.
In the end, the klan members retreated to the city hall while the counter-protest was slowly dispersed.
Comments and faves
Sola Lumina Captura, 57allison, amybsf, johnlamb, and 18 other people added this photo to their favorites.
will nickelson (or "General Zod" if you'd rather) (57 months ago | reply)
Ironically, what the klan was protesting against, many of the counter-protestor were against themselves. Protesting the klan for something they themselves believed in. Isn't it ironic? Don't you think? Or is it that's just the way of things in Alabama?
johnsonj71 (57 months ago | reply)
It's not "the way things are", it's more that the two groups, both opposing immigration perhaps (though not all persons at the rally did, myself included), it's actually a difference of perspectives - the KKK preaches a message of hate and intolerence, regardless of their current protest ideology, and so the counter-protestors were against the KKK's main message regardless of the actual cause of the rally in the first place.
Gregory.Skibinski (57 months ago | reply)
The minister from St. Timothy's Episcopal Church (the counter-protest organizer) indicated that they were protesting the Klan's use of religion to spread intolerance, and never mentioned anything about opposing their views on immigration (keep America "white and free"). So, perhaps it wasn't a "counter-protest" in the strictest sense, and of course, there were probably hypocrites among them. Still, they did a decent job of showing up in great numbers to help show that not all Alabamians are complete scum.
57allison (57 months ago | reply)
I was there and some of us do not oppose immigration. We certainly are against hatred of immigrants and "white power."
Good pics from today & the others too!
fitzmimini (57 months ago | reply)
The anti-Klan demonstrators NEARLY outnumbered the Klan? NEARLY? Hm. Which rally did you go to? I think there might have been 25-30 Klan, and about 200 anti-Klan demonstrators. The "Love" folks were there in a silent witness protest, to show that Athens does not support what the Klan is. There were many children in the crowd of silent witnesses, and I heard them say to them "See, this is what we DON'T want, this is a good example of what NOT to be" And I think that was a good thing. I have never felt good about my town as when I participated in the silent witness. BTW, there were so few Klan there that all I saw was one vehicle with the Confederate battle flag on it and heard some other group chanting KKK, go away as well as singing Nah nah nah nah, hey hey hey, good bye.
fitzmimini (57 months ago | reply)
BTW, I feel that immigration is a very complex issue and can't be solved by saying no immigration or open borders. People are people. Do you think that people would WANT to leave their home, their family and come to a foriegn and pretty hostile land for fun? There are so many other issues at work here that one cannot easily solve this. Poverty, discrimination, political factors...all lead to people trying to better themselves and their families where ever they can. I don't blame people for trying to feed their families. Ever see the movie Papillion? History has cleared the poor folks who had to resort to stealing in France to feed themselves and their families. Why do we condemn the same actions when the people are brown and not white? Hey, they are people. People are people. Are they less people because they happen to be born on the wrong side of an invisible line?
If we blocked all "illegal" immigrants from coming to the US, South FL, California, and even Vermont (daily workers) would come to a halt. Is that what we want?
...so no, not all of the LOVE folks are anti-immigration. They were pro-PEOPLE, pro-LOVE.
Gregory.Skibinski (57 months ago | reply)
Before this gets out of hand, I'd like to clarify a few of my positions:
1. I'm pro-amnesty for the vast majority of illegal aliens (10 to 15 million people) in the US, except for those that are seriously dangerous.
2. I'm for increased border enforcement (in a civilized manner, not with cowboy hero-wannabees with pickup trucks who call the border patrol everytime they see a brown-skinned person) and for economic programs aimed at reducing the need for Mexicans to cross in the first place.
3. fitzmimi is right, there certainly did appear to be more people in the LOVE group than actual klan supporters, and the citizens of Athens did a great job showing that the klan is not wanted.
4. The klan is an evil group, and its members need real help.
fotos-de-alejandra [deleted] (56 months ago | reply)
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Hi, I'm an admin for a group called MIND CONTROL, and we'd love to have your photo added to the group.
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but...before you post in it your nice picture to our group I recommend you to see this treath first please:
(Documentation, links, news and urgent actions MIND CONTROL/discuss)
www.flickr.com/groups/452269@N23/discuss/7215 7601107648567/
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Move It Along Ppl (51 months ago | reply)
COuld you do me a favor and go to my pic that says "Polls- Questions by my students", then read it and answer the questions thanks.
I've never seen one of these rallies before. Here in a big city I'd be afraid of a riot occuring.
hoohawday (49 months ago | reply)
That little girl doesn't even nkow what the hell she's holding or why!
And do they really think putign bandages on their mouths is really going to do ANYTHING???!!!
Interslicer (48 months ago | reply)
i would really like to use this picture on my face book group ... may i?
it's just a group about people standing up and joining together to send messages for a good cause
Gregory.Skibinski (48 months ago | reply)
Interslicer,
Tell me the name of the group, let me check it out, and I'll get back to you.
Independent Lens | PBS (44 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Independent Lens | PBS, and we'd love to have your photo added to the group.
We are currently seeking photos that portray grassroots activism. Visitors to the Independent Lens | PBS Web site will have an opportunity to view your photo. We would greatly appreciate it if you could add a short description to any photos you submit to our groups. Thank you for contributing and helping us engage viewers around this film!
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Super Sonic Living Life [deleted] (41 months ago | reply)
Fuck the Klan
White Pride (33 months ago | reply)
I salute the Klan! it is not fair that they are watched, it is not fair that they are hated, just because they want to stay unified! fuck the SPLC! the "anti-defamation" league is a terrorist group!
White Pride (33 months ago | reply)
Whites being forced to accept, or even tolerate non-whites is tyranny. it is persecution of whites. everyone has the right to discriminate! if I think blacks are ugly, I should not be forced to look at black "models".
I'm sick of blacks trying to tell me I'm "wrong" for only finding White guys attractive! fuck those ugly niggers! anyone who calls me "nazi", which is the "n-word" for whites, will get called "nigger"
peace4life (32 months ago | reply)
One of the leaders of the klan may soon be the antichrist!
kkk, followers of the antichrist!
screw the klan, their judgment is comming.
Association of Klans (32 months ago | reply)
I feel sorry for you people. We are the ones standing up for what is right. Illegals have NO RIGHT to be here in OUR country. Do you all want to lose your jobs? Do you want to have your homes taken away because you cant pay your bills? Well Julio or Pedro down the street might just take your job bc he will work for less. if you think your jobs are safe you better wake up from your little dream land and think again. We dont hate anyone. We are angry. And we have the right to be. The ILLEGALS dont belong here. They need to go back home and let us Americans be. We are trying to cut taxes. Put prayer back in schools. Run sex offenders out of our neighborhoods. We are trying to keep our rights as white people. If you think there is somthing wrong with that agenda then you have some serious mental issues. Whites need to stand up for themselves and stop sitting back thinking they have to deal with the bullshit we face everyday. More people agree with us then you can ever imagine.
Grand Dragon of Georgia
Association of Klans, Knights of the Ku Klux Klan
georgiawhiteknight@yahoo.com
Tetley T (31 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Personal Ad, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
EssexTex (30 months ago | reply)
"We don't hate anyone"....how stupid are you?...your whole tin pot club's built on hate...you've hung people in their front yards. (back in the day)
Now you're going on about taxes and trying to sound like grownup's but it won't wash.
The "Klan's made up of deadbeats, drunks, thugs, and bitter small minded people.....your days are numbered, time to put the nylon uniform away and evolve
wiggiewormdog (25 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called a new world, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
wiggiewormdog (25 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called piece of heaven, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
wiggiewormdog (25 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called just cool pictures, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
wiggiewormdog (25 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called brilliant magic, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
porkchopnet (23 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Counter Protests, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
RevSmilez (21 months ago | reply)
Thanks for the compelling photo, and for sharing it on a Creative Commons license. I used it on the front of our church bulletin and in my blog, with attribution and a link back to this page. revsmilez.com/2010/09/20/free-sermon-bashing- politicians/
This photo was invited and added to the Global Photojournalism; Politics, News, Protest, and Culture group.