Billy McKinney joins protesters in front of governors mansion

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Posted 10:56PM on Saturday, October 5, 2002

ATLANTA - Three disparate protest groups converged in front of the Georgia governor's mansion Saturday as Gov. Roy Barnes sat down for dinner with a Jewish group some protesters said helped oust U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney. The Rev. Timothy McDonald III said his group, the Concerned Black Clergy of Metro Atlanta, was there to protest the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee, a national Jewish lobby group, in town this weekend for a summit. McDonald said AIPAC was ``meddling in predominantly African-American congressional districts'' and had contributed to the downfall of Cynthia McKinney, a Democrat and longtime incumbent. ``It was a combination of things silence on the part of the Democratic party, crossover Republicans, the Christian right, a huge amount of money from AIPAC,'' McDonald said. ``If it were not for AIPAC, McKinney would not have lost.'' Josh Block, a spokesman for AIPAC, said the group doesn't endorse or give money to political candidates. ``This stuff about Cynthia and Billy, they're choosing to make this an issue,'' he said. About 170 AIPAC leaders dined with the governor. A loose collection of about 30 Barnes detractors were first to arrive, waving the old state flag across the street from the mansion. One protester paraded the new Georgia flag, defaced with the word ``RAG'' scrawled in black marker all over it. The state Legislature, under pressure from Barnes and business leaders, changed the flag in January 2001. Some said anti-Barnes demonstrators gather there every now and then. They said they weren't there to protest AIPAC. They just don't like Roy Barnes. The Concerned Black Clergy of Metro Atlanta, a group of about 40, marched up and down in front of the mansion's iron fence, pumping anti-AIPAC placards in the air. Billy McKinney made an appearance, joining the Concerned Black Clergy, marching and singing hymns. He said his daughter was out of town. He crossed the street to shake hands with the anti-Barnes demonstrators, chatting and smiling. While he said he disapproved of the old Georgia flag, he seemed to find common ground with them. ``I'm against Barnes,'' he said. ``Roy Barnes duped the black community. We think (the Barnes administration) are our friends, and they're shafting us and giving us crumbs.'' ``The governor is proud of his record on issues affecting all Georgians, including African-Americans, many of these issues Rep. McKinney helped us on,'' said Bobby Kahn, Barnes' political adviser. ``It's unfortunate Rep. McKinney feels that way.'' Later, McKinney said it was possible he might join a third party. He did not get into specifics. ``My future with the Democratic Party is about over,'' he said. ``Black people need to get out the pocket of the Democrats.'' The radical New Black Panthers completed the trifecta as a dozen members of its Atlanta chapter followed the cue of Malik Zulu Shabazz, chairman of the Washington-based group, chanting ``Black power!'' Former leaders of the original Black Panthers have said the new group has no relation to the Black Panthers of the '60s and '70s. The demonstrations in front of the governor's mansion were peaceful. An awkward social moment ensued when Shabazz, followed by his party members, walked down to the curb where the flag-wavers stood, telling the demonstrators the flag ``represents slavery and destruction.'' Tim Pilgrim, 37, of Smyrna, told Shabazz the flag has nothing to do with racism. ``That's just typical rhetoric,'' he said. He then picked up his megaphone and continued barking anti-Barnes slogans.