The American White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan will rally in Austin on Nov. 5 to encourage people to vote against gay marriage in the upcoming election.
The group's "pro-family values" demonstration will occur at the south plaza of Austin City Hall on Lavaca Street and Cesar Chavez Street between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The city of Austin granted the group's request after it applied and met the necessary requirements, said city spokeswoman Tina Bui.
"As long as it is for public use, it doesn't interfere with city business or engagements, and the group agrees not to traipse on the landscaping, anyone can use that space," Bui said.
Gay rights advocates said they hope the Klan's presence will encourage people to vote against Proposition 2, the constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.
"We are working tirelessly to defeat Prop. 2 and end discrimination in Texas," said Lauren Rose, a member of No Nonsense in November, a group opposing the amendment. "The fact that the KKK is showing up to support it - that speaks for itself."
In a posting titled "Texas Rally against legal Fag Marriages" on the group's Web message board, Grand Dragon Steven Edwards expressed his desire for as many Texas Klansmen to attend as possible: "God commands us to fight Satan and his minions, and we will do this even if there are only 10 of us there."
In their e-mail to the city, Klan officials said their speeches will not be inflammatory.
The Klan came to Austin in 1993, and a crowd of 5,000 people came to protest the group. Six people were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, and riot troopers were needed to dispel the anti-Klan protesters after the crowd turned violent. In 1994, 2,000 demonstrators showed up to protest a Klan rally in Austin held to denounce Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a national holiday.
APD officials declined to comment on the coming rally, saying only that "police security will be provided at the event."
Bui said that the city didn't take the Klan's history of inciting violence into account when granting access to City Hall.
"The city doesn't pass judgement in terms of political messages," Bui said. "It's open for anyone to reserve."
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