Democratic state Rep. Park Cannon, a Black woman, was arrested at the Capitol on Thursday after repeatedly knocking on Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s office door after Georgia State Patrol troopers instructed her to stop.
On Thursday, Kemp signed a new bill into law which includes limitations on mail-in voting, and many allege the new bill is designed to suppress the Black vote.
Georgia State Patrol spokesman Lt. W. Mark Riley told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Cannon “was advised that she was disturbing what was going on inside and if she did not stop, she would be placed under arrest.”
Cannon’s arrest warrant alleges that Cannon “did knowingly and willfully hinder Officer E. Dorval and Officer G. Sanchez of the Capitol PD, a law enforcement officer in the lawful discharge or the officer’s official duties by Use of Threats of Violence, violence to the person of said officer by stomping on LT Langford foot three times during the apprehension and as she was being escorted out of the property. The accused continued on kicking LT Langford with her heels.”
Cannon faces two felony charges — felony obstruction and preventing or disrupting general assembly session.
Civil rights attorney Gerald Griggs told CNN he is representing Cannon. “We are getting her out of jail currently. We are gathering information on the case as well. There are multiple videos and we are in contact with the DA,” said Griggs.
Democratic state Senate Minority Leader Gloria Butler called the GOP’s antics “voter suppression tactics.”
“We are witnessing right now a massive and unabashed assault on voting rights unlike anything we’ve seen since the Jim Crow era,” Butler added.
