Atlanta

Police make more than 50 arrests in 4th night of unrest in downtown Atlanta

By WSBTV.com News Staff
By WSBTV.com News Staff

ATLANTA — A curfew is in place again for the city of Atlanta for a third night as police and the National Guard work to clear protesters from downtown.

The curfew will end Tuesday at sunrise.

Thousands of people in Atlanta and across Georgia protested the death of George Floyd, who died in police custody. Most of the demonstrations peaceful, but there were some skirmishes between police and some protesters.

[COVERAGE: LIVE updates from Friday | LIVE updates from Saturday | LIVE updates from Sunday]

Protesters marched through the streets of Atlanta throughout the day Monday, with at least 55 people being arrested for trying to walk onto the downtown connector.

As the night moved on, protesters moved back toward Centennial Olympic Park. Shortly after 8 p.m., police began clearing the streets. As the 9 p.m. curfew went into effect, the presence of protesters was very little.

HERE’S A MINUTE-BY-MINUTE LOOK AT HOW THE DAY UNFOLDED:

9:48 p.m.: Atlanta police said they have made 52 arrests so far today:

“Throughout the day, we have been monitoring several large groups of protesters in the city, with the main group being at Centennial Olympic Park Drive and Marietta Street. We have encountered several issues during the day including instances where protesters blocked traffic on several roadways and briefly entered onto the interstate. As of 8:00 PM, we made 52 arrests. The curfew is now in effect and officers are working to ensure compliance with the curfew and making arrests where needed.”

9:08 p.m.: National Guard and APD working to clear streets now that curfew is in effect:

8:53 p.m.: Police are moving in on protesters as 9 p.m. curfew nears:

8:47 p.m.: Police warning protesters that curfew is going to start soon:

8:37 p.m.: Protesters being tear gassed near Centennial Olympic Park:

8:04 p.m.: Protesters now lying down in the road outside Atlanta City Hall:

7:52 p.m.: Channel 2′s Audrey Washington says tear gas has been deployed in downtown.

Pepper spray deployed outside Capitol:

7:45 p.m.: Protesters have lined up outside the state Capitol with police keeping them at bay.

7:19 p.m.: Channel 2′s Audrey Washington reports that there is very different vibe with the protests in downtown tonight.

6:18 p.m.: Gov. Brian Kemp said 55 protesters were arrested today for being in the roadway.

5:41 p.m.: Crowd of protesters at Centennial Olympic Park appears to be growing.

5:06 p.m.: The students who were tased by two now-fired APD officers are set to speak about what happened.

[WATCH THE NEWS CONFERENCE LIVE]

4:40 p.m.: MARTA says it is suspending service tonight in coordination with the city’s curfew:

“In accordance with the curfew extension announced today by Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, MARTA will suspend all rail, bus, and paratransit services at 9:00 p.m. on Monday, June 1 within the City of Atlanta. Riders within the City of Atlanta should board their last train by 8:30 p.m.; all rail stations within the City of Atlanta will close at 9:00 p.m. Due to protests at Centennial Olympic Park, streetcar services have been suspended for the night.”

4:25 p.m.: Protesters have arrived back to Atlanta City Hall. People are currently being arrested.

2:10 p.m. The City of Atlanta will extend its curfew for a third straight night. It will start at 9 p.m. Monday night and end at sunrise Tuesday.

1:06 p.m. Channel 2′s Tom Regan is live at a rally hosted by a local pastor in Atlanta.

12:55 p.m.: A moment of silence is held on the Marietta Square during a peaceful protest Monday afternoon. Channel 2′s Chris Jose is following the demonstration.

12:44 p.m.: Dozens of protesters are gathering outside the Atlanta City Hall for a peaceful demonstration.

12:28 p.m.: More than 100 peaceful #BlackLivesMatter demonstrators are marching down Whitlock Avenue toward Marietta Square.

12:15 p.m.: Roads near Centennial Olympic Park are back open and some restaurants in the area still have boards up.

8:20 a.m.: A group is holding a peaceful protest in front of Atlanta City Hall at 12:45 p.m. The groups is calling for a hate crime bill to be passed.

5:02 a.m.: Police still have Centennial Olympic Park Drive and Andrew Young International Boulevard closed.

4:30 a.m.: Triple Team Traffic’s Mark Arum says overall the roads and streets in Atlanta remain calm and clear hours after protests downtown.

VIDEO: Scenes from George Floyd protests VIDEO: Scenes from George Floyd protests

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