Protesters gathered Friday in Centennial Olympic Park to peacefully march from the park to the Georgia State Capitol, but as the march in response to the deaths of African Americans Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd ended, some became destructive.
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Images of Atlanta Police Department officers, demonstrators and others clashing amid broken glass windows, graffiti and vehicles on fire circulated on social media, online and on television. As Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms denounced the violence, Tyler Perry also spoke up.
"I'm not in Atlanta, but if I were I would have been standing with our Mayor," Perry said in a Facebook post that included Bottoms' remarks. "But there was nothing I could say better than what Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said last night! Please, please stop this violence!! Looting is NOT THE ANSWER!!!!"
The producer, TV and filmmaker, actor and writer, who has a massive studio just outside of Atlanta, continued: "And listen to me, be careful where you are getting your information to JOIN protests!! There are people and other countries who are posting things pretending to be US, pretending to stand for peaceful protest, but they are trying to incite us into violence and chaos to try and do more harm!! "Do not fall for this foolishness!!! Please stop the violence!"
Protests are continuing for the second night across the metro Atlanta area, including one outside Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's mansion.
Bottoms has signed an executive order implementing a 9 p.m. curfew in the entire territorial jurisdiction of the City of Atlanta until sunrise Sunday.
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