Marches and demonstrations continued this weekend in the wake of grand jury decisions not to indict white police officers for killing two African American men in incidents in Ferguson, MO and New York.
The Atlanta Police arrested 13 protesters on Saturday after they staged a “die-in” at the intersection of Lenox and Peachtree Roads in front of Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza at 3 p.m. The action caused traffic snarls on one of the busiest shopping days in the run-up to Christmas. According to the police report, “protestors were laying down in the middle of the street in a circle joined together by PVC pipes and metal locks.”
No one was injured as a result of this incident. The protesters were charged with obstructing highways, streets, sidewalks, or other public passages and booked into the Fulton County Jail.
On Sunday, protesters marched again near Phipps and Lenox but no arrests were reported.
The Atlanta Police Department said in a media statement about Saturday’s arrests:
The Atlanta Police Department will always support anyone who wishes to express their views and concerns by way of a protest as long as it is done in a peaceful and lawful manner. Over the last few weeks, the city has seen many lawful protests where the participants have acted within the law. However, the Atlanta Police Department will not tolerate illegal behavior that tramples the rights of innocent people and puts lives in danger. The protestors arrested were illegally obstructing a major intersection during one of the busiest times of the year and that type of illegal behavior is counterproductive and will not be allowed. These protestors chose not to disperse and were subsequently arrested.
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