After the death of an 8 year old girl at the hands of occupying protesters, a southern Governor is putting his foot down.
Brian Kemp of Georgia has seen enough, and it now sending military forces into Atlanta, Georgia in order to restore order.
Gov. Brian Kemp has signed an executive order declaring a State of Emergency and authorizing the call-up of up to 1,000 National Guard troops in Georgia.
The troops will be deployed as needed to protect state buildings, including the State Capitol, the Georgia Department of Public Safety headquarters, the governor’s mansion and the Georgia World Congress Center.
The move comes after a young girl was killed in Atlanta as her mother attempted to circumnavigate barriers constructed by protesters around the Wendy’s restaurant where a young man named Rayshard Brooks lost his life at the hands of Atlanta police weeks ago. As she passed the makeshift border, someone opened fired, shooting and killing her 8 year old daughter who was riding in the car.
Kemp and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms have butted heads several times over the course of the last few weeks, and the Governor finally snapped.
“Peaceful protests were hijacked by criminals with a dangerous, destructive agenda. Now, innocent Georgians are being targeted, shot, and left for dead,” Kemp said Monday. “This lawlessness must be stopped and order restored in our capital city. I have declared a State of Emergency and called up the Georgia Guard 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. Enough with the tough talk. We must protect the lives and livelihoods of all Georgians.”
Mayor Bottoms had made little effort to curtail the “occupation” of the Wendy’s property in recent days, which Kemp likely believed led to the lawlessness that caused this tragedy to occur.
