Georgia state governor declares state of emergency to counteract protests

SANAA, May 31 (YPA) – Georgia State Governor Brian Kemp on Sunday declared a state of emergency in Folton County in the state, and the movement of 500 members of the National Guard, in the face of ongoing protests over the death of George Floyd, an African American, by a policeman recently in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In a series of tweets on the social networking site “Twitter”, Kemp said that the declaration of the emergency came at the request of Keisha Lance Bottoms, mayor of Atlanta (the state capital), in order to “protect individuals and property”, according to the US “Bloomberg” news agency. .

The number of protests in the city intensified after Floyd’s death, in the wake of the tensions raised by the killing of the young, Ahmed Arbiri, in the state last February.

Arbiri case had sparked renewed sharp criticism of the criminal justice system in the United States.

The Georgia governor said law enforcement officials “are working diligently to eliminate illegal activities and restore calm,” adding that he will continue to make all resources available to officials during the emergency.

Protests erupted after Floyd was killed by a policeman, some of whom have turned violent.