DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — At least eight arrests have been made after a protest on Chamblee Tucker Road in DeKalb County.
Hundreds of people gathered in the area on Saturday afternoon in protest of President Donald Trump and his policies.
The protest on Chamblee Tucker was an anti-deportation rally organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation. The organization also led a protest on Tuesday on Buford Highway in Brookhaven, where several people were arrested.
NewsChopper 2 was over the protest when tear gas was deployed, and demonstrators were seen running.
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Police say the protesters began marching in the road toward the Interstate 285 ramp, so officers ordered them back onto the sidewalk. When the commands were not followed, they released tear gas and made several arrests.
“The right to protest is fundamental and respected in DeKalb County,” said CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson. “But when a protest shifts from peaceful and law-abiding to one that threatens public safety and disregards lawful orders, I trust our officers to respond appropriately. Our duty is to protect both the rights of individuals and the well-being of the broader community.”
Protesters say the police used tear gas and flash bangs to disperse the crowd. Channel 2’s Eryn Rogers spoke to 70-year-old Virginia Espinoza-Norwood, who said she wasn’t part of the protest, but got hit with tear gas while leaving her birthday lunch.
“I couldn’t breathe, she said. “My lungs were burning, my chest was burning. My eyes were on fire. I was trying to get water, my friend was trying to throw grape juice and trying to put it on me. I just couldn’t breathe.”
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The crowd cleared around 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon when heavy rain moved through the area; however, about an hour later, people started gathering again.
Police had parts of Chamblee Tucker Road blocked off for more than an hour, and they detained more people.
DeKalb County Police say as of 5 p.m., they made at least eight arrests. Several other people were led away constrained with zip ties after that. Rogers checked with DeKalb County Police for an updated arrest number and a list of charges, but she hasn’t gotten a response yet.
This protest was one of at least 22 protests across metro Atlanta and north Georgia on Saturday that drew thousands of people.
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