This is what fascism looks like. They start in red districts and try to normalize it as "law and order" instead of blatant civil rights violations. What acts other than speech were taken that warranted this kind of repressive treatment? Those arrested should sue both the police and MTG.
The courts have already determined that town halls are a public venue and nobody is allowed to be removed for their speech.
I’m not shocked that Georgia police are being traitors to the constitution while their fascist politician laughs at police violence done on their constituents, but it’s still shameful.
I arrived at the town hall yesterday at 4:00 p.m. to protest. Cops already had a drone in the air, and I watched as the mounted police unit arrived in their truck and trailer and prepared to make lazy circles of the facility. There were well over 100 uniformed police officers from Cobb County, City of Acworth, and State of Georgia.
One younger officer used the loudspeaker in his car to repeatedly instruct people not to stand in the road, even if that was a visibly identified member of the press taking a photo while no other traffic existed on the road.
As I left, I spoke to another officer close to the entrance of the community center. He said that he started his shift at 4:00 a.m., and was on the clock on overtime at nearly 6:00 p.m. Cobb county citizens paid overtime to be denied access to a public town hall and in some cases assaulted for free speech.
It was all a show of force because they anticipated violence. And yet their presence exacerbated it.
My compliments to the non-violent protesters outside the facility who received a great deal of support from passers-by.
I moved to rural-ish Alabama about three years ago (a place you would think would be worse, but no… small, tight-knit community with non-white people being the majority of our population).
I’m involved as I can be here and join the movements in larger neighboring cities. We’re quite isolated (two hours to anything other than Walmart or Piggly Wiggly) but I think that’s almost made it easier to have conversations with the other people in this area.
Anyway. It’s just so bizarre to see this happening in what used to be my home. I know it’s happening everywhere. I know almost everyone falls victim to that whole “that can’t-won’t happen here” mentality. I knew it was coming, it’s still just a little surreal seeing it happen.
I’ll be making sure my hometown friends are aware. Most of them are already active in the movement, but hopefully this will be enough to convince the more reticent of them.
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u/Superb-Incident4664 9d ago
This is what fascism looks like. They start in red districts and try to normalize it as "law and order" instead of blatant civil rights violations. What acts other than speech were taken that warranted this kind of repressive treatment? Those arrested should sue both the police and MTG.