ATLANTA – State Representative Carl Gilliard (D-Savannah), chair of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, today issued the following statement to urge peaceful protests once the video footage of Tyre Nichols’ fatal arrest is released to the public:
“In anticipation of the Memphis Police Department releasing the video showing the encounter that led to Tyre Nichols’ death, we urge safe and peaceful protest across Georgia. While we have the right to publically express our outrage about the unfortunate death of Tyre Nichols, we must also allow justice to be served through the judicial system. The members of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus offer prayers and the deepest condolences to the Nichols family. We pray that Georgians allow the evidence presented in this tape to allow justice to prevail for the Nichols family throughout the judicial process. Truly, if Georgia is the state too busy to hate, we must take proactive measures so that unfortunate tragedies like this do not happen in our state.”
The Georgia Legislative Black Caucus is a 501(c)3 non-profit, nonpartisan organization and is comprised of nearly 70 Georgia House and Senate members. The GLBC seeks to protect the general welfare of Black people, other people of color and disadvantaged citizens of Georgia in matters of health and welfare, education, social and criminal justice, employment and economic empowerment.
For more information about the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, please visit www.gablackcaucus.org
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 Creative Arts & Entertainment, Insurance, Interstate Cooperation, Natural Resources & Environment, Reapportionment and Redistricting, State Properties and Transportation committees.
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