The KKK rally was quite eventful, I thought. There were lots of people there inlcuding observers, supporters, and counter protestors.
This is one of the first photos I took as the people coming to shout down the KKK were marching in from the post office.
This Character was the most notable individual of the bunch.
This is one of the first shots of the Klan I got just before their gathering started. Notice the pregnant woman.
Helping them out was this little boy.
The KKK had to be behind two layers of 8ft tall chain link fence.
Proof of the lack of credibility these people had is their frequent use of the Nazi Salute. 
I would say the most tense moment was when a group of supporters surrounded one of the noise makers. He stood his ground, though.
The group above and other supporters are made up of people like this comforting fellow.
More supporters.
The hands on the fence were supporters, they were being mobbed bigtime.
The woman in pink had her hand up and I missed it. They were joined by another supporter and were soon mobbed.
There were lots of signs and lots of noise makers doing everthing they could to shout down the kkk.
If anyone knows who or what MEL is I would like to know.
Best of all there were plenty of police ready for action.
At one point they were called in to break up the pulsing crowd before it got out of hand.
In the end, when the KKK was packing their stuff up, the people followed them down to shout at them.
Some people thought they could go around the block and get into the fenced off area, but the police were prepared.
Overall I am glad this event has concluded. The words spoken at the event by the KKK members prove that they have not evolved past their original roots from back in the 1920s and before. I was astounded to see any supporters there.
OMG, I think the “Where’s Mel” sign is a Mel Gibson thing.
That’s gotta be it.
Great coverage, though.
I wondered how much they’d changed from the talk show media they (KKK) enjoyed in the eighties and nineties. (Geraldo, Jerry Springer, etc.)
The shirtless guy is covered in trackmarks! I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, maybe its from insulin and he has the worst nurse ever.
Overall I am glad this event has concluded.
It looks like the love fest at MLK Park was the more enjoyable of the two events. Thanks for taking the tougher assignment, Bo. Great pictures and commentary!
That makes sense about MEL, good catch.
I wish I could do a better job with the photo placement. I need to go back in there and figure it out exactly. Every computer I go to the pictures are in different places.
I remember those KKK people on the talk shows, they were stupid then and they are stupid now.
Well no surprise, but I saw things in a different way. It doesn’t impress me when some other group, or in truth just a few individuals, think they should decide what I can or cannot listen to. Never fails its always the liberals who want to censor someone.
The reason I say a few individuals above is the fact that many of these people making the noise were people off the streets in Amarillo. The one guy with the long beard and hair is one of them. Some one in that group obviously paid a bunch of these folks a bottle of wine or whatever to come make noise and make the numbers seem bigger..
Point is, why should someone be able to decide what I listen to? I wanted to hear what these KKK folks had to say. No real decision can be made about them, as they were not given a chance to speak. We know it was supposedly going to concentrate on illegal immigration. If judged on that single issue, most in Amarillo would have agreed with them.
The police had said nothing larger than 3/8 ” in diameter or over 5′ long would be allowed. Many of the noise makers had large objects of various kind to strike with. They had trash can lids. As seen in one picture above one guy had an empty beer keg. These counter protesters were suppose to be in front of the Post Office across the street, but were allowed to mingle with the crowd. Gathering specifically around supporters and others that wanted to hear. They wanted a violent confrentation as happened in the Klan Rally in Midland TX.
Point is the city, and police worked together to try to stifle the message the Klan wanted to deliver. The protestors were allowed weapons they were allowed to seek confrentation. They were allowed to censor free speech.
We know it was supposedly going to concentrate on illegal immigration. If judged on that single issue, most in Amarillo would have agreed with them
I think it’s possible to be on the right side of an issue for all the wrong reasons. I oppose illegal immigration because of economic, cultural, and security concerns. I suspect at least some of the KKK people at the rally shared my opposition for reasons of racial purity – I’ve heard the “mud people” argument and totally reject it.
To use another analogy, Hizbollah has provided social services to the people of southern Lebanon, but that doesn’t negate the terrorist acts they have committed and continue to commit.
It doesn’t impress me when some other group, or in truth just a few individuals, think they should decide what I can or cannot listen to.
I totally agree on this point. I would have preferred to see some thoughtful signs, on the order of Protest Warrior and what Bodacious did at an anti-war rally a while back, using satire to protest the KKK. But from what I’ve seen of the people on either side of the mesh wire fence (and I’m basing this only on photos and video clips on the local news, since I wasn’t there), there probably wasn’t enough creativity to come up with something that original.
Shouting people down is the antithesis of free speech. I remember reading about a Jewish member of the Reichstag shortly after the Nazis came to power. Every time he opened his mouth, the Nazis started shouting “Is-a-dor! Is-a-dor!” (a derogatory name for Jews, sort of like Jesse Jackson’s “Hymie”).
One person’s right to scream and beat their drum (or garbage can) doesn’t trump another person’s right of free speech.
I would have preferred to see some thoughtful signs… – Curious
What about “Wheres Mel?”
It doesn’t impress me when some other group, or in truth just a few individuals, think they should decide what I can or cannot listen to. – Celtic
Well their free speech hasn’t been as stifled as you might think. They got lots of press. They got their rally and were protected from harm by the city police. I’m sure they use the postal system to spread their ideas to anyone who wants a newsletter. You know they’ve got a website, etc.
If you really want to hear every word they said, get in the cage with ‘em or I’m sure there are alternate ways of hearing their message as I stated above. The city doesn’t have to provide a P.A. system to anyone who rallies. I’m sure the KKK was allowed to bring as much sound equipment as they want. Remember, Dems were put in a cage similar to this for the Republican convention. Were you speaking out for their rights to be heard then?
–Remember, Dems were put in a cage similar to this for the Republican convention. Were you speaking out for their rights to be heard then?–
I don’t know what your talking about here. Why would dems even be at the Repub convention?
“I don’t know what your talking about here. Why would dems even be at the Repub convention?”
They were protesting the War in Iraq, the Bush v Gore decision, Bushes signing statements, etc.