Activists set to protest Klan rally in Ohio in May

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Civil-rights activists are making plans to counter a May 25 rally in Ohio by a Ku Klux Klan-affiliated group.

Montgomery County issued a permit to the Madison, Ind.-based Honorable Sacred Knights. County Administrator Michael Colbert says the county is legally obligated to provide access where individuals can exercise their freedom of speech and right to assemble. He says authorities will work to ensure public safety.

The Rev. Chad White says a coalition plans town hall meetings and to peacefully protest the “hate group” rally planned in downtown Dayton.

A Southern Poverty Law Center spokeswoman says the Honorable Sacred Knights apparently has about a dozen active members. The Courier Journal of Louisville reported last summer that protesters far outnumbered them at a picnic.