On Sunday night, for the fourth consecutive evening, protestors representing the Black Lives Matter movement took to the streets in order to demonstrate against recent police shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota.
The protests, which have been for the most part peaceful, have been centered in and around downtown Atlanta. Over 10,000 people were estimated to be in the crowd on Friday, as the protest moved from near the CNN Center to the downtown connector. That move drew criticism from onlookers as it clogged one the city’s main artery, blocking traffic, particularly that traveling to nearby Grady Hospital. Police were quick to respond and usher the demonstrators off the interstate.
Police have been forced to be on hand for each night of the protests, making sure they stay peaceful and in control. It’s a strain on the department’s resources, and more worryingly creates a target for anyone with more violent aims, as we unfortunately saw in Dallas, Texas last week.
Peaceful protest has a long history in Atlanta, and certainly serves its purpose to raise awareness for its cause. When the end result though is to waste police resources and block important highways, perhaps demonstrators need to think about finding alternative ways to express their message.
WATCH LIVE: Hundreds of protesters are attempting to get onto Atlanta’s downtown connector. https://t.co/mawUhbv3R8 pic.twitter.com/yEuVQlz5oF
— WSB-TV (@wsbtv) July 9, 2016
