ATLANTA, GA- Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp does not mess around.
While other governors dither while cities in their state burn, such as Tony Evers in Wisconsin, Kate Brown in Oregon, and Jay Inslee in Washington, Kemp is taking decisive action in the wake of riots in his state, in this case in Atlanta.
Earlier this week, Kemp renewed an executive order through September 21 which will authorize him to bring in Georgia National Guard troops if protests turn violent.
Troops will be authorized to apprehend and arrest people while responding to emergencies, CBS-46 said.
Atlanta Police: Protesters intended for destruction, Kemp renews Executive Order to call in troops – CBS46 News Atlanta https://t.co/wAfhhbXdnt
— Atlanta Time (@AtlantaTime) August 27, 2020
This past Wednesday morning, city crews were cleaning up the Zone 5 precinct in Atlanta after it was vandalized Tuesday during a violent protest in response to a known sex offender who was allegedly armed with a knife being shot by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin earlier this week.
Criminals have seized upon any excuse to riot and cause mayhem, so after the sex offender, Jacob Blake was shot, the anarchist mobs took to the streets in cities across the country.
The event in Atlanta took place around 8 p.m. in Woodruff Park, located in downtown Atlanta and one block from the precinct.
Police were met with the usual show of hostility at the beginning of the protest, with a police spokesman saying that it was determined quickly that the intent of the “protest” was “to be destructive.”
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Officers were met with fireworks, rocks, and frozen water bottles, with at least one officer being sprayed with mace, Deputy Chief Celeste Murphy said.
“Immediately we tried to search for who was the leader of the group and reach out to them, and try to see what their purpose was,” Murphy said Wednesday at an afternoon press conference. “The organizer was not welcoming at all and immediately we realized that their intentions were to be destructive,” Murphy said.
The news outlet said that they reached out to the group that incites the riots in Atlanta to get a response from the organizer of the Tuesday event, however nobody responded to the request for comment.
Speaking about the help offered by Kemp, Murphy said the Atlanta PD was grateful for the assistance.
“It’s a collaborative effort with all of the agencies in this area, and we welcome the help,” Murphy said. “I think we work well together, and that’s why I think we were able to come to a quick resolution last night.”
Police said that eight people were arrested on Tuesday for charges ranging from disorderly conduct to obstruction. Murphy said that no Atlanta PD officers were seriously injured.
Murphy emphasized that police “welcome peaceful protests” and wanted to collaborate with protest organizers. She noted that the Tuesday night event was an exception.
“This never was peaceful and was never intended to be peaceful,” she said.
Meanwhile protestors returned to Atlanta on Friday, this time protesting a man shot and killed in Lafayette, Louisiana last Friday. Anything for a little destruction.
CBS-46 said that National Guard troops had been deployed to both the Governor’s Mansion and the State Capitol as protests escalated.
As if police do not have enough to deal with, a newly formed group called the “Black Revolutionaries” organized Friday’s protests, surely to become riots. They claimed that Atlanta police had “provoked” protesters earlier this week and were “too aggressive,” Fox 5 in Atlanta reported.
The new group which consists of about 20 armed members said they had organized earlier this year after Ahmaud Arbery was killed, an incident which had zero to do with police.
No. The New Black Panther’s did not march in Atlanta.
Members of the Black Panthers Revolutionaries Atlanta Chapter marched.
They are not a hate group.
They are nonviolent.
They are peaceful.#blacklivesmatter #FightFakeNews #GeorgeFloydProtests https://t.co/LnPi5A8xUg
— GoatGuardian (@goat_guardian) June 8, 2020
The group says their goal is to “educate, uplift and empower African Americans,” which they apparently do while carrying weapons. Um, ok.
“We do not advocate violence. We are out there protecting our community. During my first protest, I was met with tear gas and rubber bullets,” said one member, James Tillman who is also a Navy veteran.
He claims the group is “misunderstood,” and noted that some of the members were present during the Tuesday event which turned violent. Police deployed tear gas after they were attacked by fireworks, however members of the Revolutionaries group saw it differently.
“Violence becomes therapy because no one is listening, but Tuesday we were protesting quietly and Atlanta police tear-gassed us for no reason,” a founder of the group named only “Spike” told Fox 5.
The Friday was scheduled to begin at the CNN Center (wonder if they will report “peaceful” protests again as buildings are burning?) and proceed to the State Capital.
