South Fulton mayor accuses city of retaliation after shutting down his Easter Egg Hunt

SOUTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — The Mayor of South Fulton is speaking out and accusing city leaders and police of shutting down an Easter Egg Hunt to get back at him.

“This pettiness has reared its ugly head,” said South Fulton Mayor Khalid.

That is how South Fulton Mayor Khalid described the situation that happened on Saturday at Creel Park in South Fulton.

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Mayor Khalid said he and event organizer Torrey Tomlinson were sponsoring the yearly Easter Egg Hunt at the park.

But before one egg was found, the event was shut down by the City of South Fulton and police.

Channel 2 Action News cameras saw South Fulton Police blocking the main gate on Saturday.

A spokesperson for the city of South Fulton said in a statement:

“An event coordinated by Old National Entertainment (ONE) and Mayor Khalid was cancelled for not following the appropriate approvals through the City of South Fulton’s special event process. The event was deemed unsanctioned and will not take place.”

But Mayor Khalid said that is not true. His team submitted the proper paperwork.

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“My office has worked with the event organizers to file three separate applications for this event beginning in February.”

The mayor said the permit request to have the event was denied without reason.

“I have sponsored it every year, and it’s only since that I’ve been mayor, that all of this drama has happened with our council that suddenly the paperwork for this event has not been approved,” said Mayor Khalid.

Tomlinson said he has successfully planned this event without any issues for years. He said what happened on Saturday does not make sense.

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“It is about power. It is about control. I am frustrated. I have been going through for a very long time with the city. I never go to social media, I never go on the news but right now I feel like I am being bullied,” said Tomlinson.

The city of South Fulton said in a statement “…The city is committed to ensuring that all events held in South Fulton are safe and enjoyable for everyone.”

Meanwhile, Mayor Khalid said cancelling the event is not hurting him, but the kids of South Fulton. Mayor also said they hired security from the Sheriff’s Office and EMS services.

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