Georgia leaders and law enforcement agencies say they will have no tolerance for those who incite violent crimes during upcoming protests taking aim at President Donald Trump.
“Crime, vandalism and any threat to public safety will not be tolerated in this state,” Gov. Brian Kemp said Wednesday. “We will always safeguard the right to peacefully protest, but Georgia is not California. We know the difference between utilizing constitutionally-guaranteed rights and committing violent crime.
The warnings come the day after police arrested six people at a Buford Highway protest and amid ongoing turmoil in California, where Trump has waged an immigration crackdown. The president has taken the highly unusual step of enlisting the military to support federal immigration agents despite opposition from Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
State Attorney General Chris Carr said Tuesday that Georgia “will not hesitate to bring domestic terrorism charges for those who earn it.” The penalty for that charge is up to 35 years in prison, he added.
“It’s very simple. Protesters use words. Rioters use violence. There is no gray area,” said Carr, a Republican candidate for governor who also filed a legal brief defending Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles. “In Georgia, if you engage in violence for the purpose of changing public policy, you can be charged with domestic terrorism.”
Local law enforcement agencies are on alert for any protests planned in the coming days, though they declined to release specific plans. The GBI said the agency will continue to monitor plans for demonstrations while working with metro Atlanta, state and federal law enforcement partners.
The Georgia Department of Public Safety said the agency is committed to upholding the constitutional right to peacefully protest while ensuring the safety and security of communities.
The immigration enforcement raids and deportations have led to protests across the country, including metro Atlanta, where hundreds attended a Tuesday evening rally on Buford Highway. Officers in riot gear cleared the area late Tuesday by deploying tear gas.
Multiple law enforcement agencies — including from DeKalb County, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Doraville and the Georgia State Patrol — responded to the scene and blocked off parts of Buford Highway near North Cliff Valley Way.
“They will not intimidate us. We are here to stay and we are here to do whatever we can to fight for immigrants,” Lauren Epps, a protester, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution shortly before police cleared the rally site.
The AJC obtained arrest records for three of the people who were taken into custody by Brookhaven police and booked into the DeKalb County jail just after midnight Wednesday. Records for the remaining three were not immediately available. The AJC is not identifying the arrestees because they are not charged with felonies.
Of the three whose records were obtained, two are from Decatur and one is from Atlanta. All face a charge of obstruction of law enforcement officers. Two were charged with disorderly conduct, and one was booked on charges of unlawful assembly and pedestrian walking on the roadway.
In addition to Kemp and Carr, other Georgia Republicans are leaning into Trump’s extraordinary decision to send soldiers to suppress immigration protests in Los Angeles, seizing on law-and-order issues that are mainstays of GOP campaigns.
Insurance Commissioner John King, a U.S. Senate candidate, accused Democrats of “turning a blind eye to rioters.” And U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, another GOP Senate contender, introduced a resolution condemning the immigration protests.
“Waving Mexican flags, attacking police, and burning down a once great American city shows exactly why these people shouldn’t be in our country,” said Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who is expected to soon mount a GOP bid for governor. “Law and order is coming from President Trump. Buckle up.”
Some Democrats, meanwhile, blasted Trump’s actions in California.
“Donald Trump’s decision to defy local leaders in deploying the National Guard and Marines is putting people at risk, wasting resources and distracting local law enforcement, all to grab more power for himself,” said former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who is running for governor.
“I have always said that it is wrong for anyone to turn to violence and vandalism, and those who do should be held accountable. “
The demonstrations have energized Trump opponents, who see his crackdowns as unlawful and his order to send soldiers to suppress protests as a step toward authoritarianism. But they also expose Democrats to fresh attacks portraying them as weak on illegal immigration.
Law enforcement in metro Atlanta could be tested this weekend when at least two protests are planned as part of the “No Kings Nationwide Day of Defiance.”
Staff writers Lautaro Grinspan, Caroline Silva, Rosana Hughes and Vanessa McCray contributed to this article.
About the Authors
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
