Starting last Friday, Black Lives Matter and their diverse supporters have peacefully protested in Atlanta. Today when they meet near Lenox Square Mall, it will be day number five. Despite a few outside groups of people who are agitators and less than 30 arrests, Atlanta Police and Georgia State Troopers have done a good job of controlling the crowds that have been as large as 10,000 to 15,000 according to media reports.
Showing “empathy” toward protesters instead of guns and tear gas has proven to make a big difference in crowd control.
No riot gear.
No riot helmets with shields.
Plain clothes officers embedded with crowd.
Getting “Intel” on the ground allows officers to respond faster than usual to seemingly haphazard movements and their attempts to enter and block the interstates. This has resulted in: No damage to property, no injuries, and minimal distractions, if any, to the 2,000 plus Alpha Kappa Alpha Convention attendees at downtown
hotels.
A few reports of water bottles (probably empty) being thrown at officers and vulgar language shouted at officers. Not bad for such a large crowd that is constantly moving from Centennial Park, to Woodruff Park, down Peachtree Street to Mitchell Street to City Hall to Underground covering six to seven miles in the 90 degree heat.
Kudos to our law enforcement officers. That is incredible!!
Is this the example for the nation??
Good live coverage from Atlanta media.
So,now what?
What is the charge to change conditions that led to the two most recent Black civilian deaths by shootings, a Black civilian found hung in Piedmont Park, and the sniper shooting of five white officers?
A protest without a good strategic plan is a bunch of smoke and mirrors. A protest with a good strategic plan that includes massive voter turnout is destined to change public policy that can help eradicate senseless murders of Blacks by white police officers.
Your Power Connection 