Democratic U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson backed student efforts to peacefully protest on Emory campus on Thursday, while disapproving of “outside agitators.” On Friday, Chair of the DeKalb County Republican Party, Marci McCarthy, argued demonstrators attempted “to incite chaos” and disagreed with Johnson’s earlier statement.
Johnson expressed that he was disturbed to learn that Georgia State Patrol troopers were sent to Emory in response to Thursday’s protests. He argued the GSP does not belong on college campuses.
Students have a First Amendment right to protest, Johnson stated in a post on X, but clarified that some individuals not affiliated with the university caused tensions to run high during the demonstrations.
“(The) Georgia State Patrol has no place on the college campus. And neither do outside agitators who seek to usurp the peaceful protests against the Netanyahu government’s killing of tens of thousands of innocent Gazans by giving life to a false narrative that the protest movement is violent and antisemitic,” he said. “Those participants who seek to intimidate, threaten or demean our Jewish brothers and sisters have no place among the legitimate protesters.”
My statement on the disgraceful commentary from @RepHankJohnson following the attempted occupation of @EmoryUniversity. It’s time to vote this do-nothing, career politician out of office in November. #VoteDeKalbRed #gapol @DeKalbGOP @GaRepublicans https://t.co/tGpSYRnEPb pic.twitter.com/fPf3LfwmXs
— Marci McCarthy (@MarciMcCarthyUS) April 26, 2024
Less than 24 hours after Johnson released his statement, McCarthy responded by calling it “disgraceful.”
She stated in a post on X that she condemns the “violent actions of Hamas sympathizers at Emory University,” adding that they attempted to “incite chaos and assault police officers.”
McCarthy backed efforts by Gov. Brian Kemp and the university to bring additional law enforcement to campus and argued it provided security to “law abiding citizens on our campuses and in our communities.”
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