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Atlanta will be under curfew for a second night after Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced she would extend the lockdown in the wake of another night of violence and unrest in the city. The curfew will begin at 9 .p.m. on Sunday night and continue until  sunrise Monday.

Bottoms said she was extending the curfew after 157  arrests were made Saturday night. Once again, protesters vandalized buildings and smashed windows around Downtown, including the Children’s Museum of Atlanta.

Chief Erika Shields promised to lock up protesters if they did not obey curfew, and she made good on her word. By 1:30 a.m., APD reported they had dispersed the majority of the protesters.

Officers were once again pelted with bottles, firecrackers, and rocks, while one sustained a serious injury when he was struck by a protester riding an ATV. The incident occurred around 10:30 p.m. on Marietta at Spring street.  The officer sustained significant injuries to his legs and was transported to Grady Hospital in stable condition. The ATV rider was taken into custody.

Several arrests were made outside the Governor’s Mansion on West Paces Ferry Road as a crowd of protesters demonstrated and marched through nearby neighborhoods.

APD was supported by Georgia State Patrol officers and 1,500 members of the National Guard, who used Lenox Square’s parking lot as a staging area. After Friday night’s looting, arson, and vandalism, Buckhead was quiet on Saturday night.

Gov. Brian Kemp issued a statewide emergency declaration on Saturday night that will extend through next weekend. Kemp said law enforcement had received information about potential unrest across the state, including Athens, Savannah, and Macon. The emergency declaration activated 3,000 National Guard troops to respond to any incidents in the state.

Atlanta was just one of the cities rocked by protests and violence this weekend in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN. Floyd was killed by police on Memorial Day, One officer has now been charged with Floyd’s murder.

The post Mayor extends curfew after more than 150 arrested in second night of Atlanta protests appeared first on Atlanta INtown Paper.

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The Atlanta Police Department has released a statement about its preparations to counter a second evening of protests and violence in the city.

At 5 p.m., protestors were gathering outside the Governor’s Mansion on West Paces Ferry Road, but there was also a heavy National Guard and Georgia State Patrol presence. Gov. Brian Kemp signed an executive order this afternoon authorizing 1,500 National Guard troops to deploy throughout the city to “maintain order and address hotspots of illegal activity.”

INtown’s contributing photographer Asep Mawardi spotted protesters already gathering at Centennial Olympic Park on Saturday afternoon. The park area was the flashpoint of last night and this morning’s protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police officer.

Here is the full statement from the APD:

The Atlanta Police Department is monitoring protest activity throughout the city today and is prepared to make arrests for any criminal acts, following destructive activities on Friday night that stretched into early Saturday.

APD officers, assisted by about 20 local, state and federal agencies, are prepared to monitor activity and protect vulnerable business districts and retail centers, including Atlantic Station, Camp Creek Marketplace, Greenbriar Mall, Lenox Square, Phipps Plaza, Ponce City Market, The Mall West End and others. APD is working collaboratively with those agencies to coordinate security and assure public safety throughout the city.

“I’m incredibly proud of our officers for showing professionalism and restraint, allowing protestors to voice their valid concerns,” said Chief Erika Shields. “We were patient. But we will not allow these protests to devolve into the destruction of property or placing the safety or our officers in jeopardy. We will make additional arrests and we are grateful to the assistance we are receiving from our partner agencies.”

APD, in close collaboration with its law enforcement partners, has a multi-layered strategy that includes reaction, arrest and SWAT teams to quickly move into trouble spots, stop criminal activity and take suspects into custody.

The Department will not tolerate the looting and damage to property that occurred on Friday night and Saturday morning that led to 71 arrests, damage to 20 APD vehicles (two of them total losses), at multiple fires, vandalism and other criminal acts. The Department is still working to determine the number of businesses that were looted, burglarized or damaged.

At least three Atlanta Police officers suffered minor injuries. One was pushed down during a scuffle with protestors when a large crowd attempted to surround a police vehicle  and two others were injured by flying debris. Officers were subjected for hours to objects thrown at them including water bottles, bullets, eggs, rocks, fireworks and knives. One officer was fired upon early Saturday morning while driving through Buckhead, but was not injured. Looting, broken windows and other vandalism occurred at several businesses along Peachtree and Lenox roads in Buckhead.

Please continue to monitor the Department’s social media channels on Twitter and Facebook for continued updates.

Thank you for your continued patience as we simultaneously work to keep you informed and keep the city safe.

The post Atlanta Police prepare for another night of protests and arrests appeared first on Atlanta INtown Paper.

A defiant Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields announced a 9 p.m. curfew for May 30 to sunrise on May 31 and denounced outside “terrorists” who came to destroy the city after a night of looting, arson, and vandalism.

Bottoms said last night’s violence was not protest, but chaos orchestrated by outsiders and “anarchists” who came to “destroy this city.”

“I am taking the extreme step of issuing a curfew from 9 p.m. to sunrise,” the mayor said. “This is not to infringe on anyone’s rights, we respect each of your rights, but we cannot let what happen last night happen again.”

Bottoms told Atlantans to to get to safe place before 9 p.m. “Find yourself in a safe place this evening, know where your children are this evening, we don’t want to arrest or detain anyone, but we will maintain order in the streets of Atlanta this evening.”

MARTA it would suspend all bus and rail service at 9 p.m. as well and resume Sunday morning, May 31, at their scheduled time.

Chief Shields said those who incited the violence were not Atlantans, but a “highly calculated terrorist organization” embedded inside the peaceful protesters.

“We know the organizers of protests in the city, but we didn’t know these people and the organizers didn’t know them either. These people weren’t here to fight for civil rights, they were here to destroy Atlanta.”

Shields continued: “To those who came here and pulled this crap, know that it won’t happen again. You caught us off balance, but it won’t happen again. There will be zero tolerance for violence. I’m ready to lock people up.”

Gov Brian Kemp ordered 1,500 National Guard troops to the city this evening to support local law enforcement.

Last night’s protests were for George Floyd, the Minneapolis man killed by police on Memorial Day. Various cellphone video of Floyd’s arrest showed him handcuffed and face-down on the street as officer Derek Chauvin, who was fired and is now charged with third-degree murder, uses his knee to restrain him.

Shields denounced the Minneapolis cops involved in Floyd’s death, calling them murderers and failed human beings.

The post UPDATE: Mayor, police chief denounce ‘anarchists’ and ‘terrorists’ who destroyed city; curfew begins at 9 p.m. appeared first on Atlanta INtown Paper.

Click to view slideshow.

A roundup of statements from Atlanta officials and organizations in the wake of last night’s violent protests in Downtown and Buckhead. Our contributing photographer Asep Mawardi and Central Atlanta Progress also provided photos of the cleanup efforts in Downtown and Buckhead in the gallery above.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms
“What we saw overnight was not a protest, and it was not Atlanta. We as a people are strongest when we use our voices to heal our city instead of using our hands to tear it down. We know our citizens are angry. We are angry and we want justice. If we are to enact change in this nation, I implore everyone to channel their anger and sorrow into something more meaningful and effective through non-violent activism.

“What started out as a peaceful demonstration, quickly turned into mayhem and unnecessary destruction, and ultimately an assault on businesses that are already struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This morning we began mobilizing City leadership and resources to help our city recover from the devastating events that took place last night.

“The Department of Public Works deployed crews early this morning to begin cleaning up our streets in the downtown and Buckhead areas of the city and our public safety officials are working to keep our businesses and communities safe. The Department of Transportation is working to remove graffiti from public buildings in those areas as well. We also coordinated with neighboring jurisdictions to provide additional public safety resources and with the Governor’s office to provide assistance from the National Guard to help with our recovery.

“Now more than ever, I am calling on our communities to come together to show our strength as One Atlanta through prayer and working together to restore and heal our city as an example for the nation.”

Atlanta City Council
“Although we represent different districts, we are a reflection of one great city – the city of Atlanta. There are times such as today when it’s imperative that we speak as one Council with one voice. The actions of certain individuals following the peaceful demonstration that occurred on Friday were not a reflection of what we are as a city.

The ability to protest and organize is a fundamental right and one that can create lasting change. There are rightfully shared emotions of grief, anger, and pain following the deaths of George Floyd and other African Americans who unjustly lost their lives because of the actions of law enforcement. While there are clear and deserving reasons for people to protest, damaging property, breaking windows, and setting fires are not a part of Atlanta’s fabric and that behavior cannot be condoned.

We want to express our gratitude toward Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, the Atlanta Police Department, Chief Erika Shields, EMS staff, Atlanta Fire Rescue, Chief Randall Slaughter, and state and other officials for their response and resilience and for their assistance in de-escalating the tensions during the events from Friday night.

As representatives of the residents of the city of Atlanta, we’re here to help administer change. We’ll continue to be open, accessible, and responsive to the concerns of the constituents in our respective districts. The contact information for each Council member is available on our website.

When we work together, we show that we’re a strong and compassionate city, especially in the face of crisis and heartache. We must always be empathetic toward the needs of the people of our city. The events that happened Friday night were a flashpoint in our city’s history, and we must continue to work hard, collaborate, and make the right kind of effort to move our city ahead.”

Central Atlanta Progress/Atlanta Downtown Improvement District
Last night, citizens gathered in Downtown Atlanta for a protest in response to the murder of George Floyd. Demonstrations unfortunately resulted in significant damage to property, especially throughout the Centennial Park District.

We are broken-hearted that our neighborhood sustained so much destruction but are relieved that widespread recovery efforts are well underway—and that, despite many broken windows, there were no significant injuries. Downtown Atlanta has a long history of serving as the City’s nexus of civic activity, a place where citizens can exercise their rights of free speech and assembly. While last night’s activity is discouraging to those who call Downtown home, be they residents, business operators, or property owners, this community is marked by resilience, will persevere, and will continue its important function as a site of safe, peaceful community gathering.

Please support us from a distance while we repair the heart of Atlanta.

Metro Atlanta Chamber/Choose ATL
“It’s been a tough month. Watching what has happened in our own state, our own city and across the country has been painful. We firmly believe that in metro Atlanta, our differences are our strength. In Atlanta, we come together, we engage in tough conversations, we find solutions and we work together to make our community — and the world — better. We are proud to be called the ‘Black Mecca’ and an international community that welcomes everyone, regardless of race, origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion or creed. This is a legacy that we are committed to holding up and preserving.”

The post PHOTOS: Atlanta leaders respond amid cleanup in Downtown and Buckhead after night of chaos appeared first on Atlanta INtown Paper.

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Georgia National Guard and police are patrolling areas of Downtown Atlanta and Buckhead on Saturday after a night of looting, vandalism, arson, and violence rocked the city.

Cleanup is underway in the hard-hit Centennial Park district, which was a flashpoint for the violence that devolved from a peaceful protest of the killing of George Floyd by  Minneapolis police officers.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued the following statement on Saturday afternoon: “The Department of Public Works deployed crews early this morning to begin cleaning up our streets in the downtown and Buckhead areas of the city and our public safety officials are working to keep our businesses and communities safe. The Department of Transportation is working to remove graffiti from public buildings in those areas as well. We also coordinated with neighboring jurisdictions to provide additional public safety resources and with the Governor’s office to provide assistance from the National Guard to help with our recovery.”

Citizen volunteers and work crews were already clearing glass, boarding up hundreds of broken windows and assessing losses after looting at The College Football Hall of Fame, McCormick & Schmick’s restaurant, CNN Center, Waffle House, Chick-fil-A, and Starbucks to name a few. The pavement along Centennial Park Drive and Park Drive were scorched after protesters set three police cars on fire. A visitor’s center inside Centennial Park was destroyed by fire and the Olympic Rings defaced by graffiti.

While the Atlanta Police Department hasn’t released arrest figures, TV news and social media showed two “jail buses” being filled with detainees. Georgia State Patrol officers in riot gear and the National Guard joined APD to regain control and clear the streets in the early morning hours after Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency in Fulton County. Tear gas and bean bag rounds were fired into the crowd to disperse demonstrators.

APD posted a statement on its Facebook page after midnight that several of its officers had been injured in the Downtown fracas and multiple shots were fired at an officer in Buckhead as the violence moved north. Officers had water bottles, rocks, firecrackers and knives thrown at them during the standoffs.

Dozens of social media posts showed looting at the “Disco Kroger” and Binders art store at Piedmont and Peachtree, Target at Lenox Marketplace, The Shops Buckhead Atlanta, and inside Phipps Plaza where the Gucci and Dior shops were ransacked. Icebox jewelry store on Peachtree Road reported broken windows, but looters were unable to breach the store’s safe.

Atlanta Fire Department vehicles were attacked as firemen extinguished a blaze set at Del Frisco’s Grille.

Mayor Bottoms also said in her statement: “What we saw overnight was not a protest, and it was not Atlanta. We as a people are strongest when we use our voices to heal our city instead of using our hands to tear it down. We know our citizens are angry. We are angry and we want justice. If we are to enact change in this nation, I implore everyone to channel their anger and sorrow into something more meaningful and effective through non-violent activism. What started out as a peaceful demonstration, quickly turned into mayhem and unnecessary destruction, and ultimately an assault on businesses that are already struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Protests were set to continue on Saturday, including a demonstration planned outside the Governor’s Mansion on West Paces Ferry Road at 5 p.m., according to social media posts.

See more photos of the cleanup at CBS 46 at this link.

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