State lawmakers are raising questions about why black university students were removed from Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump rallies held in public buildings.
At a press conference Wednesday, State Sen. Vincent Fort, D-Atlanta, said the students were "unfairly and illegally kept out of those venues."
“The free speech of Georgia citizens was threatened in the last week,” Fort said. “If their rights can be violated, anybody’s rights, anyone’s rights in this state can be violated.”
Ashona Husbands, a freshman at Georgia State, and her friend Meagan Mwanda were removed by police from Clinton's rally at Atlanta City Hall on Friday. Quinten Sabré Sims, a senior at Valdosta State, and a group of about 30 other students were ejected from Trump's rally on school grounds Monday after "standing silently at the top of the bleachers."
Husbands and Sims both said they had no plans to disrupt or protest at either rally.
Sen. Nan Orrock, D-Atlanta, also expressed her support for the students in the Senate Wednesday.
“I don’t care who you’re voting for for president. We’re not going to throw our rights out the window,” Orrock said. “There needs to be a loud and clear voice from our state leaders that this will not be tolerated.”
Fort echoed Orrock’s statement.
“We won’t tolerate it. We will fight against it,” Fort said.
Husbands said Atlanta Police Department officers escorted her and Mwanda out of Clinton’s rally for writing “Black Lives Matter” on the back of a campaign sign.
Clinton’s campaign late Friday denied claims that the campaign or the Secret Service removed anyone from the rally. A spokesperson for the Atlanta Police Department confirmed its officers escorted two people out of the rally for having signs.
“The assumption that we were going to do something wrong is something that really sticks to me,” Husbands said. “She could’ve even used it to her advantage. She could’ve explained how ‘Black Lives Matter’ fits into her campaign, and she just didn’t do that.”
Sims said there is still confusion about who ordered him and his peers out of the Trump rally. Valdosta State has not reached out to the students, he said.
“The students that were removed paid taxes, tuition and a host of other student fees in order for the PE complex to be used outside of Donald Trump’s first-time visit,” Sims said.
Some reports claim the students were kicked out based on a request the Trump campaign made.
“There is absolutely zero truth to that,” said Hope Hicks, Trump’s campaign spokeswoman.
Nora Benavidez, attorney at American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia, said her organization is “not opposed to pursuing” legal action against law enforcement and both candidates.
“What appears to be the unconstitutional removal of these students, at the very least, is something that we’re interested in pursuing,” Benavidez said. “Local and state and federal were all involved at the law enforcement level in removing these students from both rallies.”
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