Democratic State Representative Arrested In State Capitol
In this Friday, Feb. 26, 2021 file photo, Georgia House Democrats speak with Democratic Rep. Park Cannon, right, in Atlanta during a sit-in at the state capitol sparked by opposition to Republican proposals that would restrict voting.
Jeff Amy / AP Photo
Democratic State Rep. Park Cannon was arrested at the Georgia State Capitol Thursday night after repeatedly knocking on the door to the governor’s office, in an attempt to witness the signing of the state’s new voting bill into law. Kemp signed the bill, which Cannon and other Democrats oppose, in private.
I was proud to sign S.B. 202 to ensure elections in Georgia are secure, fair, and accessible. I appreciate the hard work of members of the General Assembly to make it easy to vote and hard to cheat. pic.twitter.com/1ztPnfD6rd
— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) March 25, 2021
The Atlanta legislator was released later that night after being charged with “willful obstruction of law enforcement officers” and “preventing or disrupting” General Assembly meetings.
Rep. @Cannonfor58 is arrested and lead out of the Georgia State Capitol building by GA State Troopers after being asked to stop knocking on a door that lead to Gov. Brian Kemp’s office, while Gov. Kemp was signing #SB202 behind closed doors in #Atlanta #gapol pic.twitter.com/kw5FCrgqEm
— Alyssa Pointer 🦄 (@AlyssaNo_L) March 26, 2021
“I am not the first Georgian to be arrested for fighting voter suppression,” Cannon wrote on Twitter early Friday morning. “I’d love to say I’m the last, but we know that isn’t true.”
Republicans have bristled at the notion the new law constitutes voter suppression, pointing to provisions that expand weekend early voting requirements. They have defended the measure as a balance between security and voting access.
Photos and videos show Cannon being escorted out of the Capitol by Georgia State Patrolmen and put into a police car.
Why are the State Patrol arresting a State Representative during session? #gapol pic.twitter.com/lzs5EW78t7
— Gerald A. Griggs (@AttorneyGriggs) March 25, 2021
Cannon’s lawyer, Gerald Griggs, said they plan to “vigorously defend against these charges.”
Sen. Raphael Warnock, who is pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church where Cannon is a member, visited her in jail Thursday night before her release.
“We will not allow a few politicians and their craven lust for power to take us back. The democracy doesn’t belong to the politicians, it belongs to the people,” Warnock told reporters outside the jail.
“They’re trying to fix something that’s not even broken. We should be making it easier for people to vote, not harder. The people aren’t asking for this. This is democracy in reverse,” he said. “The politicians are trying to cherry-pick their voters.”
After being arrested under one of the same charges during a protest in 2018, former state Senator and now Congresswoman Nikema Williams sued the state, arguing the charge of “preventing or disruption” the General Assembly session or meetings is too broad. The federal suit is pending.
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