Talladega County and state lawmen will be on hand Sunday when a national activist comes to Alabama for a flag-burning near the Talladega Superspeedway.
Gene Stilp plans to hold his demonstration about 10 a.m. Sunday off Speedway Boulevard since he is prohibited from doing so on track grounds. He's held similar demonstrations, where he burns a two-sided "Nazi-Confederate" flag, in Bloomsburg and at a NASCAR race in Dover.
Stilp made the two-sided flag, saying the "misguided and horrible values expressed by the confederate flag are similar to the horrible values symbolized by the Nazi flag. Those horrible values include racism, hatred, bigotry, slavery, white supremacy and death."
Though Stilp has said he applied for a permit to burn the "Nazi-Confederate" flag during this weekend's race, Talladega County Sheriff Jimmy Kilgore said that's not true. Stilp is not required to obtain a permit.
"He's just exercising his constitutional right,'' Kilgore told AL.com. "Whether you agree or disagree, he's got the right. We can't deny him that."
The sheriff said they have designated an area for Stilp's demonstration that they feel will not impede pedestrian or motor vehicle traffic.
Alabama State Troopers and Talladega deputies will be on hand to monitor the situation. "Certainly there may be some issues,'' Kilgore said. "We're just going to try to keep everybody safe. Hopefully he'll conduct his little demonstration quickly and then go about his way."
In previous demonstrations, Stilp explains his flag and then sets it on fire over a metal trash can.
"I told him he's certainly got the right to do that,'' Kilgore said, "but I don't think he really understands the differences in the venues of Dover and Talladega.