Over the 4th of July weekend, unspeakable violence happened in the city of Atlanta. Residents gathered in groups to burn down the Georgia State Patrol Building; this comes in addition to five deaths, one of them being an 8-year-old girl who was brutally murdered by two shooters.
In the wake of violence in Atlanta, governor of Georgia Brian Kemp announced a state of emergency on Monday, reports Breitbart News.
This state of emergency came roughly one day after a press conference from Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms; some Georgia residents remain critical of Bottoms and believe that her attitudes and orders towards Atlanta police officers enabled the violence this past weekend.
What to Know About Georgia’s State of Emergency
Under the state of emergency, exactly 1,000 troops from the Georgia National Guard were sent out to three critical areas within Atlanta. These areas include Buckhead where the governor’s mansion stands, the Georgia State Capitol, and southeast Atlanta.
I have declared a State of Emergency and called up the @GeorgiaGuard because the safety of our citizens comes first. This measure will allow troops to protect state property and dispatch state law enforcement officers to patrol our streets.
— Brian Kemp (@BrianKempGA) July 7, 2020
In declaring a state of emergency for the Peach State, Governor Kemp also issued some public remarks. The Georgia governor professed that criminals have “hijacked” peaceful protesting in order to carry out a “dangerous, destructive agenda.” After noting the senseless deaths to take place in Atlanta, Kemp called for the restoration of law and order.
Latest Feedback from the Atlanta Mayor
Since Kemp’s state of emergency, the Atlanta mayor has yet to respond to the decision in a public manner. However, Bottoms has called upon her city’s residence to cease violence and “do better.” It’s worth noting that the Democrat mayor has repeatedly appealed to Atlantans, asking them to cease violence, but to no apparent avail.
COVID-19 has literally hit home. I have had NO symptoms and have tested positive.
— Keisha Lance Bottoms (@KeishaBottoms) July 6, 2020
Thus far, the relationship between the Republican Georgia governor and Mayor Bottoms has remained tense. Prior to Kemp’s state of emergency, he did warn that he would intercede to stop the violence in Atlanta if the mayor couldn’t do so herself.
Georgia Democrats have criticized Kemp’s decision to issue a state of emergency; meanwhile, Republicans in the Peach State remain confident that deploying the Georgia National Guard will ultimately shield lawful state residents along with personal property.
Do you agree with the Georgia governor’s decision to issue a state of emergency? Do you believe the Atlanta mayor’s attitude towards the city police department enabled the violence this past weekend? Let us know what you make of it all down below in the comments section.
