The Stone Mountain Memorial Association says it will not remove Confederate flags at the base of the mountain's walk-up trail because they are permitted under Georgia law.
The association cites a Georgia statute that prohibits the removal or relocation of Confederate monuments, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
A group called the Stone Mountain Action Coalition had urged that the flags, near Confederate Hall, be removed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 18.
"On November 16, 2020, the Stone Mountain Memorial Association publicly announced that it was considering making changes within months for a '21st century perspective on Stone Mountain Park.' Two months later and there have not been any updates. Enough is enough," the group says.
Georgia law was amended in 2019 to prohibit removal of monuments. It covers any "monument, plaque, statue, marker, flag, banner, structure name, display or memorial constructed and located with the intent of being permanently displayed and perpetually maintained" that is dedicated to a "historically significant military, religious, civil, civil rights, political, social, or cultural event or series of events."
The law specifically includes monuments related to the Civil War and protects the carving on Stone Mountain.
