George Floyd protests in Georgia
George Floyd protests in Georgia
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George Floyd protests in Georgia

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George Floyd protests in Georgia

A series of George Floyd protests took place in Georgia, United States, following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. 11 consecutive days of protests and rallies occurred in Atlanta through June 8, 2020. Through July 2020, protests occurred in twenty various cities and communities in the state.

Governor Brian Kemp announced on May 31 that he had authorized 3,000 National Guard troops ready to be deployed to cities across the state.

On May 30, about 40 or 50 protesters peaceably demonstrated with signs and chants. They lined up along Slappey Boulevard on a vacant lot, where they were joined by local officials and supplied with bottled water by Albany police.

Protesters blocked Broad Street starting around lunchtime on May 29 at the University of Georgia. On May 31, several hundred protesters marched through downtown for several hours ending at the Arch. By midnight, a group of 100 would not leave, and police subsequently used tear gas to disperse it.

A peaceful march occurred on May 29 at Centennial Olympic Park and was attended by hundreds. At around noon, protesters marched to the CNN Center, which was vandalized by protesters starting a few minutes later. Some protesters vandalized the CNN logo at the entrance, broke the doors and windows, and began throwing objects at police officers in the lobby starting around 9:00 p.m. They were dispersed in a few hours and never entered any further than the lobby. The windows and doors were boarded up, and the sign was repainted the next morning. Later, a fence was put up to ward off protesters. As tensions between protesters and police escalated, police began using tear gas. Protesters threw water bottles, eggs, and other objects at officers, burned police cars, and defaced businesses. The College Football Hall of Fame's gift shop was looted; Hall of Fame CEO Kimberly Beaudin told ESPN that "no artifacts or displays were damaged." Three officers were injured in the clashes, including one who was run over by an ATV.

At midnight, Governor Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency in Fulton County and authorized 500 National Guard members to aid law enforcement in the city. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and rapper and activist Killer Mike decried the riots. By Saturday, May 30 at 5:30, 71 arrests had been made in Atlanta, and one demonstrator was reported shot.

Also on May 30, after initially ordering two black college students to continue driving their car, Atlanta police pulled them from their car, broke a car window, and used Tasers to shock them. Within days, six officers were charged as a result of the incident; two were fired and four were put on administrative leave. The Fulton County District Attorney, Paul Howard, stated that the two college students were "innocent almost to the point of being naive".

On June 3, APD reported that 425 protesters were arrested between May 29 and June 1. Of those arrested, 51 people (~12%) were not from Georgia.

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