Georgia state legislator jailed protesting Kemp’s signature on broad voting bill

Georgia state legislator jailed protesting Kemp’s signature on broad voting bill

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A Democratic lawmaker from the state of Georgia was arrested by state police and charged on Thursday after knocking on the governor’s door. Brian KempBrian KempGeorgia allows all adults to receive the vaccine starting on Thursday. Trump’s allies line up before potentially blunt primary governor races to test the response of COVID-19, Trump’s influence MORE(R) door several times while he signed a controversial voting bill.

Police told The Hill that Rep. Park Cannon (D) was taken to Fulton County Jail, where she was accused of obstructing law enforcement, as well as “preventing or interrupting General Assembly sessions or other meetings. of the members. ”

Lieutenant W. Mark Riley, The Georgia State Patrol’s director of public information said in a statement to The Hill that Cannon started knocking on Kemp’s office door while he was organizing a live broadcast event for the signing of the project.

The police said that the ceremonial door to the governor’s office was marked with a “Governor’s Staff Only sign ”, along with props blocking the door.

“Rep. Cannon continued to knock on the door and was again instructed to stop knocking, ”Riley told The Hill. “She was warned that she was disturbing what was going on inside and, if she didn’t stop, she would be put under arrest.”

Riley said that after Cannon “took a step back for a moment”, she continued to knock on the door.

“She was warned again if she didn’t stop, she would be arrested for obstructing and disturbing the press conference,” he added. “Rep. Cannon refused to stop knocking on the door” and was then “put under arrest and escorted out of the Capitol.”

The controversial bill in question includes voting restrictions, such as limiting the use of ballot boxes and defining photo identification requirements for absent votes. He was widely condemned by Democrats, who say the legislation was largely fueled by recent Republican electoral losses in 2020 and early 2021.

ONE Live video from Facebook later, shared on Twitter, it showed a bit of the interaction, in which Cannon stood in front of a policeman and can be seen walking past him to knock on the door before being handcuffed.

Additional footage posted on Twitter showed several policemen escorting a Cannon handcuffed by the Capitol building while other protesters repeatedly asked, “Why are you arresting her?”

Tamara Stevens, who posted the video to Facebook Live, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Cannon was not causing disturbances, adding that he had the right to witness the governor sign the bill.

“She knew he was signing a bill that would affect all Georgians – why would he hide behind closed doors? This is not a monarchy, ”said Stevens. “You have a colored woman fighting for the rights of Georgians and they arrested her for knocking on the door because she wanted to see our governor sign the bill.”

Democratic state deputy Erica Thomas said Cannon was “doing her job as an elected official.”

“She was asking where the governor was and where the bill was being signed,” added Thomas, according to the Journal-Constitution.

Lawyer Gerald Griggs told the Journal-Constitution in a prison interview that he planned to represent Cannon.

“I am concerned that this has happened,” he said. “I will fight for her to be released.”

Cannon, 24, is Georgia’s youngest lawmaker and one of three openly gay lawmakers elected to the state chamber in 2016, according to CNN.

The legislator is also a parishioner of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, where Sen. Raphael WarnockRaphael WarnockTrump’s allies line up before potentially hard-hitting primaries Clyburn: Democrats ‘will run’ in 2022 on the COVID-19 relief bill Survey: Doug Collins leads among Georgia Republicans MORE (D-Ga.) He was a senior pastor, according to a statement obtained by the media.

Updated 23h07

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