Groups of protesters gathered in metro Atlanta over the weekend in response to the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore.
Close to 50 members of #Itsbiggerthanyou met at Jonquil Park in Smyrna on Sunday afternoon, hoping to not only highlight Gray's case, which sparked riots in protest last week, but those of other black men who have died at the hands of police.
“Everyone around the nation, this is a weekend of resistance in solidarity with Baltimore,” said Aurielle Marie Lucier, co-founder of the group. “As an organization, we stand with all the protesters in Baltimore.”
On Saturday, a small group of protesters with Rise Up Georgia held a memorial service in Atlanta to call attention to deaths in Georgia in which protesters believe excessive police force was used.
Protesters in Smyrna specifically cited the case of Nicholas Thomas. Smyrna police were attempting to arrest Thomas March 24 at the Cumberland Parkway Goodyear for a probation violation warrant. Police say Thomas tried to run over officers in a customer's Maserati, though lawyers hired by the dead man's family have challenged the official account.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating the shooting of the 23-year-old Thomas.
Lucier says Thomas’ family believes the investigation has “stalled” and they “want more information.”
The group of protesters walked from Jonquil Park to Cumberland Mall late Sunday afternoon. Photos on social media showed demonstrators on the mall floor.
The protesters left the mall and there were no arrests, Officer Alicia Chilton with Cobb police said.
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