Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr issued a stern warning to demonstrators the day after police arrested six people at a Buford Highway immigration protest.
Carr, in a statement issued just before noon Wednesday, described his message as a “warning to rioters” and said the state “will not hesitate to bring domestic terrorism charges for those who earn it.” The penalty for that charge is up to 35 years in prison, he said.
He added: “It’s very simple. Protesters use words. Rioters use violence. There is no gray area. In Georgia, if you engage in violence for the purpose of changing public policy, you can be charged with domestic terrorism.”
Credit: AJC file photo
Credit: AJC file photo
The tough talk comes amid ongoing unrest in California, where President Donald Trump has waged an immigration crackdown and brought in the military to support federal immigration agents despite opposition from Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Protests against immigration enforcement raids and deportations have erupted across the nation, reaching the metro Atlanta multicultural corridor of Buford Highway on Tuesday. Hundreds attended an evening rally, which ended with police in riot gear clearing the area.
Authorities deployed tear gas, and protesters threw multiple canisters back at them, along with a half-dozen fireworks. People also jumped on a police vehicle, according to video shared on social media.
DeKalb County, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Doraville and the Georgia State Patrol were among the law enforcement agencies that responded to the scene and blocked parts of the road.
Carr, a Republican who is running for governor in 2026, sought Wednesday to quell any additional violence and to distance Georgia from the response of liberal-leaning states such as California and New York.
“So, for those trying to make their weekend plans, the bottom line is this — we will defend the right to peacefully protest, and we will not hesitate to bring domestic terrorism charges for those who earn it,” he said. “We are not California or New York. We are Georgia. We don’t make excuses for criminals here. We prosecute them.”
There are at least two protests planned in metro Atlanta on Saturday. The “No Kings Nationwide Day of Defiance” will rally against Trump’s policies and “authoritarian excess” starting at 10 a.m. at Liberty Plaza across from the Georgia State Capitol. That event is part of a larger effort happening across the country.
There’s also an Atlanta area protest against deportation planned for noon at 3535 Chamblee Tucker Road.
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