ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp signed an emergency order Thursday allowing him to deploy as many as 1,000 Georgia National Guard troops following the violent unrest in Atlanta this weekend over a proposed public safety center.
“Georgians respect peaceful protests, but do not tolerate acts of violence against persons or property,” Kemp wrote in the order, which expires Feb. 9.
The governor’s aides described it as a precautionary measure as authorities also monitor the threat of protests over the beating death of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old motorist who was killed earlier this month in Memphis after being pulled over by police.
