State leaders warn of crackdown if ‘No Kings' protests take a turn toward violence
Georgia leaders say they are prepared to respond if weekend protests turn violent.
'My office remains in close contact with state and local law enforcement and stands ready to take whatever appropriate action is needed to safeguard our communities from crime and violence while also respecting the constitutional right to peaceful assembly,' Gov. Brian Kemp said in a statement on social media. 'My support for public safety officers and the rule of law is unwavering, and any violence against those who protect and serve will be met with quick and heavy accountability.'
Organizers around the country are planning demonstrations Saturday against the Trump administration as part of the 'No Kings' events. More than two dozen protests are planned in Georgia, from Dalton to Valdosta, according to organizers.
Tensions are high across the country as photos and footage from Los Angeles depict smoldering vehicles and clashes between protesters and police – fallout from protests over tactics used in raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The situation in California intensified after President Donald Trump deployed National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles against the wishes of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass, who said local law enforcement was sufficient to keep the peace. The last time a president called up the National Guard to a state without the approval of its governor was in 1965 when President Lyndon Johnson deployed troops to protect civil rights activists against the wishes of segregationist Alabama Gov. George Wallace.
The second Trump presidency has already seen numerous protests in Georgia over immigration, federal spending cuts and other actions by the administration. One of them turned violent Tuesday night when immigration protesters allegedly threw fireworks and rocks at police officers and their cars. No officers were seriously hurt, but at least six people were arrested, according to multiple news outlets.
Kemp previously called in the National Guard over heated protests, including in 2020 when protests over the deaths of George Floyd and other Black Americans turned violent and in 2023 after protests over the Atlanta police public safety training facility known as 'Cop City' led to burning cop cars.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, who is running for governor in 2026, issued a stern warning via a press release Wednesday:
'All Americans have the right to peacefully protest. No American has the right to destroy property, loot businesses, or attack law enforcement officers. It's very simple. Protesters use words. Rioters use violence. There is no gray area. In Georgia, if you engage in violence for the purpose of changing public policy, you can be charged with Domestic Terrorism. The penalty for Domestic Terrorism is 5-35 years in jail.'
Many protesters say it's the tactics used by the Trump administration and ICE that should be illegal.
'I grew up in a sundown town up north, so them being able to come in and violate that sanctity of homes, schools, businesses, it triggers something in me, and it makes me so uncomfortable with what's going on,' Melissa Steach, a member of the Union of Southern Service Workers who works at Waffle House, said at a peaceful protest outside ICE headquarters Monday.
'It needs to stop,' she added. 'We're going to keep protesting until the raids stop. These people do so much for us, and I'm gonna keep standing with our brothers and sisters.'
Georgia Recorder reporter Maya Homan contributed to this report.
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