- Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed a broad electoral reform bill on Thursday.
- In announcing the bill, Democratic Rep. Park Cannon was filmed knocking on Kemp’s door.
- Cannon was arrested and charged with obstruction as a result of the incident.
- See more stories on the Insider business page.
Representative Park Cannon of the state of Georgia was arrested on Thursday and charged with criminal obstruction when Georgia’s governor Brian Kemp sanctioned a controversial new law reform bill.
Cannon was arrested after knocking on Kemp’s door.
Kemp, a Republican, was announcing the signing of the project on a live broadcast when he was interrupted by Cannon, a Democrat. Cannon’s prison was also captured during a live broadcast, when the lawmaker joined others who came to the state capitol in Atlanta to protest the bill.
According to a statement provided to Insider by the Georgia State Patrol, Cannon continued to knock on the door after being instructed to stop.
“She was told she was upsetting what was going on inside and, if she didn’t stop, she would be put under arrest,” the statement said. After knocking again, police said she was again informed that she would be arrested for obstruction and removed from the building.
—Greg Bluestein (@bluestein) March 25, 2021
Videos posted on Twitter showed the moment of the arrest. Cannon can be seen talking to a policeman who is standing between her and the door. She takes a step back, before going up again to hit and is immediately arrested by two policemen.
Others present immediately started protesting the arrest, with one of them asking, “Arrested why? For trying to see something that our governor is doing?”
“Our governor is signing a bill that affects all Georgians, and are you going to arrest an elected representative?” said the person.
Police said Cannon was transferred to Fulton County Jail and charged with obstructing law enforcement, a crime and preventing or interrupting General Assembly sessions or member meetings, a misdemeanor.
United States Senator Raphael Warnock visited Cannon while she was in prison, her office said. CNN.
Cannon’s office did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
The controversial electoral reform bill signed by Kemp expands early voting in most counties and determines the identification of the vote by mail, among many other changes.
It also prohibits volunteers from delivering supplies, including food and water, to voters waiting in long lines and prohibits most mobile voting buses.
Do you have a news tip? Contact this reporter at [email protected].