Flanked by the Atlanta Police Department’s command staff, Mayor Kasim Reed said during a Monday morning press conference that more than 15,000 protesters took to Atlanta streets over the weekend and that fewer than 25 people were arrested.
But the mayor also said that the “nature” of the protests changed as the weekend wore on, from family-orientated demonstrations to activists who are “not affiliated with community organizations.”
Reed said more than 6,000 hours of overtime have been worked by Atlanta officers, who will remain working on 12-hour shifts with no approved vacation time into the foreseeable future. He said the city has not yet calculated the cost to taxpayers.
“The overwhelming consensus is that the events were peaceful and largely positive,” Reed said of Atlanta’s weekend demonstrations. “I believe that is a testament to both our officers and Atlanta residents.”
Reed said there were incidents of water bottles, along with insults and obscenities, being hurled at officers. The mayor asked that protesters refrain from that type of behavior.
In some cases, bottles of water were thrown, obscenities and insults shouted at them for hours on end, yet they remained calm and professional,” Reed said. “Yet, they are exhausted.
“The least we can do is treat (officers) with the dignity and respect they deserve and the dignity and respect that you are asking for in your protests.”
The largest of the protests happened Friday night and into the early morning hours Saturday, when an estimated 10,000 people took to downtown streets in protest of police killing African American men last week in Louisiana and Minnesota.
Come back to ajc.com for continuing coverage.
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