City Council members join march, urging need for unity and reforms
Atlanta City Council members joined other elected officials and peaceful protesters during a march Thursday to remember and honor George Floyd and take a stand for justice and equity. The march coincided with a memorial service held Thursday in Minneapolis to honor the life of Floyd, a black man killed in Minneapolis while in police custody.
The march in Atlanta was organized as an “artistic and peaceful” demonstration to honor Floyd.
District 3 Council member Antonio Brown said the protest was aimed at showing unity.
“We marched with a purpose. We organized. We stayed together,” he said.
Brown recently joined other local officials in advocating for the creation of a Metro Atlanta Uprising Task Force, which will track use of excessive force by law enforcement officers.
“There are so many different things happening,” Brown said. “We’re going to come together to address the systemic change that needs to happen and to fight against the injustices in this city and this state.”
More than 1,000 people from different backgrounds took part in the peaceful march from the King Center to the Georgia Capitol building. As the march moved through downtown, various people led the group in songs and people were reminded to go out to the polls and make an impact through voting.
Council President Felicia Moore said she was proud to celebrate Floyd’s life as a participant in the march and noted that action is needed here and now.
“The chant of the day was ‘no justice, no peace,’ but I’m calling on all citizens of Atlanta, the state, this country and the world — we’ve got to deal with the issue of race. I believe it’s the foundation for all of this,” Moore said. “The status quo is no longer in order. So, for us, we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
District 6 Council member Jennifer Ide thanked law enforcement officials for their efforts in aiming to ensure the police reflects the community and noted Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms recently issued an administrative order to convene an advisory council to examine the City’s use of force policies and procedures.
“We want to be the best in Atlanta. We want to do what’s right for our citizens,” Ide said.
One of the goals of the City’s advisory council will be to develop strategies to prevent misconduct by law enforcement officials, while also engaging the communities that they are sworn to protect.
Post 3 At-Large Council member Andre Dickens noted that the march was aimed at shining a light on injustices and inequalities, while also displaying a shared commitment toward action.
“As elected officials, we fight hard to try to overcome those things, but it’s good to be in solidarity with the people — to walk, to march, to chant, to show our collective strength, and do it in a peaceful manner.”
