Furious Democrats reacted to the arrest of a Georgia lawmaker who interrupted Gov. Brian Kemp’s livestream announcement after he signed a sweeping election bill into law on Thursday.
The election bill requires voter ID to request and submit absentee ballots, limits the number of ballot drop boxes, and allows the Georgia State Elections Board to take over county elections boards if there are problems with ballot counting.
Democrats accused Kemp of voter suppression, while Republicans wonder why he didn’t strengthen voter laws during the presidential elections in 2020 and the Senate runoffs in January.
Democrat representatives and activists gathered to protest the signing of the bill at the state capitol on Thursday.
Georgia State Representative Park Cannon (D-Atlanta) was arrested for banging on Gov. Kemp’s door during his livestream announcement.
According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution:
“Cannon was with several other protesters when she knocked on Kemp’s office door, saying the public should be allowed to witness the announcement of the bill signing. The sweeping legislation requires ID for absentee ballots, limits drop boxes and changes early voting hours.”
Cell phone video shows Georgia State Troopers forcibly dragging a handcuffed Cannon through the Capitol building and shoving her into a patrol car, as she yelled, “There’s no reason for me to leave… I am a legislator!”
The reaction was furious on Twitter. One Twitter user wrote: “She was arrested more harshly than a white man who murdered 8 Asian women.”
While another liberal tweeted: “This is outrageous. The @GOP is suppresing democracy [sic].”
And a third Twitter user wrote: “She was arrested for standing by a door! ????”
“I am a legislator”: Georgia State Representative Park Cannon identified herself as a lawmaker as she was arrested Thursday night after protesting a voting bill that voting rights groups believe will make it harder for communities of color to cast their ballots. pic.twitter.com/lTVRnGV3vt
— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 26, 2021
