ATLANTA — Georgia state troopers arrested state Rep. Park Cannon on Thursday as she knocked on Gov. Brian Kemp’s door, interrupting his livestreamed announcement that he had signed an elections bill into law.
The officers forcibly removed Cannon, a Democrat, dragging her through the Capitol and pushing her into a police car.
Cannon was with several other protesters when she knocked on Kemp’s office door, saying the public should be allowed to witness the announcement of the bill signing. The sweeping legislation requires ID for absentee ballots, limits drop boxes and changes early voting hours.
Tamara Stevens, who was with Cannon, said she wasn’t being disrespectful or causing a disturbance.
“She knew he was signing a bill that would affect all Georgians — why would he hide behind closed doors? This isn’t a monarchy,” Stevens said. “You have a women of color fighting for the rights of Georgians and they arrested her for knocking on the door because she wanted to witness our governor sign the bill.”
State Rep. Erica Thomas, a Democrat, said Cannon didn’t do anything illegal.
”She was doing her job as an elected official,” Thomas said. “She was asking where the governor was and where the bill was being signed.”
Thomas said she was upset Cannon was arrested at all because state law says legislators are “free from arrest during sessions of the General Assembly” except for charges of treason, felonies or breach of the peace. It’s unclear what charges Cannon is facing.
Earlier this legislative session, Cannon was involved in a separate confrontation with a Capitol police officer.
During a protest over elections bills, Cannon positioned herself in front of an officer’s bullhorn, and then another officer took hold of her arm to move her away. The conflict led to a sit-in by Cannon and fellow Democrats on the stairs of the state Capitol.
Attorney Gerald Griggs, who posted a video of Cannon being forcibly dragged out of the building, said in an interview from the Fulton County Jail that he planned to represent her.
“I’m concerned that this happened,” he said. “I’ll fight to get her released.”
