Gov. Nathan Deal reissued an executive order to have flags flown at half-staff Friday after catching heat for calling the Dallas demonstrations where police were gunned down Thursday night an “anti-police protest.”
Deal made the original comment when ordering U.S. and Georgia state flags flown at half-staff at all Department of Public Safety buildings following the shootings.
The police shootings occurred at a demonstration in Dallas against the recent shootings of black men in Minnesota and Louisiana by police officers.
Two hours after the original order, Deal’s office sent out a statement saying, “I’ve reissued the executive order regarding lowering flags to half-staff in memory of the fallen officers in Texas to mirror the presidential proclamation.
“In addition, I’d like to clarify the previous executive order I issued. The anti-police incident to which I referred was the shooting of law enforcement officers, as that was the stated intent of the shooters, and not of those peacefully demonstrating.”
“Again, my thoughts and prayers are with all those who’ve suffered loss of a loved one this week.”
Deal signed the original executive order early Friday to fly the U.S. and Georgia state flags at half-staff.
“Today we mourn the lives of five law enforcement officers who were gunned down in a coordinated sniper attack during an anti-police protest,” Deal wrote in his original executive order.
He immediately came under heat on Twitter. Some of the responses:
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