Atlanta, GA
Tyre Nichols: Peacefully protesting Georgians question role of National Guard at demonstrations
“That is an try and scare individuals from protesting”
Some Georgians protesting the homicide of a Memphis father, Tyre Nichols, say Kemp’s government order stored lots of people from becoming a member of the demonstration.
ATLANTA – For the second day in a row, a gaggle of Georgians gathered in Downtown Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park to protest the homicide of Tyre Nichols. The 29-year-old man was overwhelmed to close loss of life by 5 Memphis law enforcement officials. With two peaceable demonstrations underneath their belt, some protestors have expressed a priority towards the presence of Georgia’s Nationwide Guard.
“It is essential to exhibit solidarity and demand justice for Tyre Nichols and all victims of police violence,” stated Natalie Villasana.
Villasana is part of the group that organized the 2 protests. The group stated extra individuals would have come out if it weren’t for Governor Brian Kemp declaring a State of Emergency and calling up the Nationwide Guard.
“That is an try and scare individuals from protesting,” Villasana stated. “Individuals should not be afraid to protest.”
Memphis officers stated they feared releasing the graphic footage of the beating to the general public Friday night in case protests grew violent. Georgia officers, like Gov. Kemp, have expressed the identical concern, particularly after info that the officers had been charged was additionally launched.
Kemp’s state of emergency known as for as much as 1000 members of the Georgia Nationwide Guard to be accessible to “subdue riot and illegal meeting” within the likelihood {that a} peaceable protest may flip right into a repeat of the riot that broke out downtown the earlier weekend.
“I had many individuals inform me they had been scared to return out,” stated Addison Clapp. “That is outrageous that persons are scared to talk out towards police terror.”
On Saturday, Georgia NAACP President Gerald Griggs was among the many peaceable protestors. He stated bringing within the Nationwide Guard was pointless as individuals hit the streets to demand change.
“The right response to what occurred in Memphis and what occurred in Atlanta is dialog, not militarization,” he stated.
The Georgia chapter of the ACLU shared an analogous message.
In a press release Christopher Bruce, the ACLU of Georgia Coverage and Advocacy Director wrote: “We imagine individuals in Georgia ought to have the ability to freely categorical their First Modification proper to protest the police violence that killed Tyre Nichols. The suitable to protest shouldn’t must happen in a militarized setting. The ACLU of Georgia employed Authorized Observers to make sure that individuals had been certainly in a position to train their First Modification rights.”
The Governor’s order says the state respects peaceable protests, however their concern is acts of violence.
Whereas the Friday and Saturday protests have been peaceable, organizers imagine the chief order was meant to silence them.
“We invite individuals right here, individuals need to be right here,” Clapp stated. “They’re scared to be right here due to that government order, however they need to come out as a result of it is that type of mass motion that may cease police terror.”
FOX 5 reached out to Governor Kemp’s workplace Saturday afternoon, however didn’t hear again.
Georgia vigil scheduled in Decatur for Tyre Nichols Jan. 29 at 5 p.m. (Provided)
FOX 5 was instructed there’s a vigil for Nichols scheduled for Jan. 29 at 5 p.m. at Decatur Sq..