ATLANTA – State Representative Carl Gilliard (D-Garden City) today issued the following statement ahead of the first anniversary of Ahmaud Arbery’s death, which is tomorrow, Tuesday, February 23, 2021:
“On February 23, 2020, Ahmad was killed while jogging in a Georgia suburb, and this week marks the one year anniversary since his death. Thousands of citizens, Black and white, have marched across the nation since then in protest of this senseless, unjustified murder.
“The result of this horrible death is the outcry to repeal the citizen’s arrest law in Georgia. I am glad to have taken on the responsibility of leading the charge in the House to repeal Georgia’s outdated and antiquated law of 1863. We are now faced with the task to finally repeal this law in the Georgia House and Senate, and this progress is also in the hands of the signature of the governor.
“On this somber day, we will honor the life of Ahmad Aubrey and mourn with his family. We must not allow his life to have ended in vain. We must move Georgia forward. We must become a ‘state is that is too busy to hate.’ By repealing this citizen’s arrest law, we can take the first step in moving Georgia forward.”
Rep. Gilliard will be available to discuss proposed legislation to repeal the citizen’s arrest law throughout the day on Tuesday, Feb. 23.
Representative Carl Gilliard represents the citizens of District 162, which includes portions of Chatham County. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2016 and currently serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Economic Development and the Legislative & Congressional Reapportionment, Insurance, Interstate Cooperation, State Properties, Creative Arts & Entertainment and Transportation committees.
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