ATLANTA— The ACLU of Georgia issues the following statement with concern about the response of law enforcement to protests in Atlanta today:
“The freedom to protest without retribution is essential to our democracy. Atlanta has historically been a place where citizens could freely exercise their rights to protest, but we have unfortunately seen a series of unconstitutional crackdowns on speech and protest across Georgia in recent years. The ACLU of Georgia is closely watching the current protests on college campuses across the state. Colleges and universities should be places where viewpoints, expression, debate, and free speech are encouraged, not suppressed.”