KKK will hold rally in Clearwater

The Ku Klux Klan is planning a rally in Aiken County this spring.

The white supremacist group is planning a rally in Clearwater the first weekend in April, according to a message from a man claiming to be the Grand Dragon of South Carolina for a sect called the Church of the National Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.

A man identifying himself as Tim Bradly called the Aiken Standard from an Aiken phone number saying the rally was being planned. He did not return messages left Monday on his voicemail or e-mails requesting more information. Bradly's name and the same phone number are listed on several Klan websites as contacts for "the Realm of South Carolina."

It is not known if Bradly is the Grand Dragon's real name since the sect is known to use aliases. The group's leader, or imperial wizard, Railton Loy, uses the Klan name Ray Larsen, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center's information center. There is no listing for Bradly in Aiken County.

Sheriff Michael Hunt said his office would certainly have increased security for the event; however, he was only made aware of the event after a call from the Aiken Standard. He said he would need more information to comment further.

Aiken County does not require permits for groups to hold parades or marches; however, certain guidelines must be adhered to when using county roads.

The exact location of the march is not known; the last march in that area came down S.C. Highway 421.

This rally will be the first in Aiken County since 2000. In 2000, events took place in Wagener and Salley on March 11. The last known rally was Sept. 16, 2000. According to reports at the time, the event ended without conflict.

A Klan rally in Nahunta, Ga., attracted around 200 people this past weekend, according to reports. The majority of those in attendance were protesting the rally rather than participating. Nahunta is about 90 miles south of Savannah, Ga.

The National Knights formed in 1960 as a response to the growing civil rights movement, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Originally a collection of splintered Klan groups from several Southern states, this loose confederation quickly grew into one of the largest Klan groups in the nation.

In recent years, the group, now based in South Bend, Ind., has struggled to organize and attract members, according to reports.

Contact Mike Gellatly at mgellatly@aikenstandard.com.