State Sen. Vincent Fort was arrested by police at Woodruff Park on the morning of Oct. 26, according to Occupy Atlanta and CBS News.
In a speech on last week’s deadline for protesters to leave the park, Fort criticized Mayor Kasim Reed, stating “We don’t need no Bull Connor in Atlanta.” He was comparing Reed’s order to vacate the park to the actions of a brutal segregationist sheriff in Birmingham, Ala., during the civil rights movement. Connor used firehouses and dogs against civil rights demonstrators.
Fort is a history professor affiliated with Atlanta University and Emory University and chair of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus Committee on Education, according to his official legislative website.
Reed sent police to break up the protests early this morning. Last week he granted the protesters permission to camp in the park until the close of the next city council meeting on Nov. 7, but rescinded his executive order when the group held a hip-hop concert on Oct. 22 without a permit. One of the mayor’s conditions for allowing the group to stay was that they keep quiet after 9 p.m.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported that an angry Reed met with leaders of the group on Saturday inside a white van parked near the protest site.
According to a city statement, “Mayor Reed based his decision on concerns about public safety and escalating tension in the park. Throughout the day on Tuesday, one protester openly walked through the park with an AK-47 assault rifle.”
Fire hazards from propane heaters in tents and overloaded electrical outlets were another danger cited by the city. Police arrested 53 people shortly after midnight, including Fort and activist, radio host, and former city councilman Derrick Boazman.
Reed asked members of the clergy to negotiate with the protesters on Tuesday. According to a city statement, they rebuffed the religious leaders and said they would not meet with them until Thursday.
“For more than two weeks, the City of Atlanta, downtown residents, and business owners have shown tolerance and patience for the members of Occupy Atlanta,” Reed said in a statement.
“The protesters, however, moved from conducting an initially peaceful demonstration to increasingly aggressive actions. These actions led to my decision today to revoke the Executive Order. I would like to commend the Atlanta Police Department on executing an operation that resulted in no incidents,” Reed said.
No injuries were reported during the arrests.
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