The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
PEACEFUL. THEN VIOLENT.
‘We’re better than this as a city,’ Bottoms pleads with protesters
What began as a peaceful march over the death of Minneapolis resident George Floyd turned violent and destructive in downtown Atlanta on Friday evening as protesters smashed windows, defaced buildings with graffiti, looted a ransacked restaurant and set a police car on fire.
“We are better than this,” Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said during an emotional news conference with Atlanta police Chief Erika Shields and others at Atlanta police headquarters. “We’re better than this as a city. We’re better than this as country. Go home.”
She spoke blocks from CNN Center, the site of looting and vandalism.
“This is not a protest,” she said. “This is
not in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. This is chaos. A protest has purpose. When Dr. King was assassinated, we didn’t do this to our city. You are disgracing our city. You are disgracing the legacy of George Floyd.”
Things started differently on Friday afternoon, with supporters marching peacefully with signs expressing outrage over Floyd’s death after being pinned under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer. Four officers involved with the call that ended with Floyd’s death have been fired. The one seen on video pinning Floyd to the ground, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
The rally in Floyd’s honor was billed as a peaceful gathering, but the vibe took a marked turn as the night wore on.
“Officers have been subjected to water bottles, eggs and other items being thrown at them,” Atlanta police Sgt. John Chafee said Friday evening. “However, we remain hopeful this activity will cease and there will be no need for further arrests or clashes with protesters.”
That didn’t last.
“It is your duty not to burn your own house down for anger with an enemy,” entertainer Killer Mike, also known as Michael Render, said during the mayor’s news conference. “It is your duty to fortify your own house so that you may be a house of refuge in times of organization. Now is the time to plot, plan, strategize and organize. It is time to beat up prosecutors you don’t like at the voting booth.”
The Revs. Bernice King and Joe Beasley also condemned the destruction while acknowledging the reason for the outrage.
“This is a tough moment,” King said during the news conference. “I have to make an appeal to my brothers and sisters. The only way to get constructive change is through nonviolent means.”
The daughter of the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., she referenced her father’s legacy.
“He gave his life to this nation. He was a son of this state and of this city,” she said. “He said to us, ‘Riots are the language of the unheard.’ This is a time we all have to listen.”
In a social media post earlier in the evening, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp had encouraged people to use their voices to protest peacefully.
“Currently, there are thousands of Georgians gathered in Atlanta to demand justice for George Floyd’s death,” Kemp posted on Twitter. “It is a powerful moment for our state and country. We encourage protesters to exercise their Constitutional rights safely, especially in light of COVID-19.”
Though many participating in the rally did wear masks, there was little social distancing as the night wore on.
Shields, who has condemned the actions of the Minneapolis police officers involved with the Floyd incident, said early Friday evening that protesters would be allowed to stay in the area as long as they did not break laws.
“People are upset. They’re angry. They’re scared. I get it,” Shields said during an interview with reporters at the protest scene Friday. “They want to be heard, and I think they have a right to be heard.”
Friday afternoon, several participants were heartened by the diverse group of supporters who showed up to march in Floyd’s honor.
“I think it further shows where we are as a country,” Chandell Stone said. “People are tired, but also there’s a lot of people who want to come together, especially in a pandemic, when it feels very isolating.”
Stone protested in New York when a grand jury did not indict former NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo in the death of Eric Garner.
“Unfortunately, I feel like I’m protesting every summer,” he said.
Lamont Wilson said the gathering was an important one.
“I’ve had moments where I did fear for my life and feared for my safety,” he said. “But I fear for the young brothers. We focus on the killings, but there is so much injustice that comes before that too.”