Loeffler: Georgia riots over George Floyd's death have 'got to stop'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., weighed in Sunday on the riots that have erupted in Atlanta after the death of George Floyd in police custody, saying the “criminal” activity has “got to stop.”
“These peaceful protests that turned violent, that’s not the nature of our country, that’s certainly not the nature of what happens here in Atlanta,” Loeffler told “America News HQ” on Sunday. “What we saw Friday night was violent protests erupting out of peaceful protests.”
Loeffler added that on Saturday night, “we saw peaceful protesters outside the governor’s mansion... however, the later it got past curfew, you saw those elements, that Antifa-like activity, start to gear up.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}She said as a result, more than 150 people were arrested.
The protests were sparked by the May 25 death of Floyd, a black man who died after a Minneapolis cop, Derek Chauvin, was seen kneeling on his neck in a viral video. Chauvin has been fired and charged with third-degree murder, and the federal Justice Department has been investigating the case. Crowds across the nation have seized on the racially charged incident to demand justice, but the protests have devolved into riots in many cities, culminating in a weekend of carnage.
GEORGE FLOYD DEATH: THE CITIES WHERE PEOPLE ARE PROTESTING AND RIOTING
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency ahead of fears that further protests might break out in the state.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms gave an emotional speech on Saturday morning, citing the actions of looters who smashed windows and threw bottles, rocks and knives at law enforcement as “not Atlanta.”
“You’re not honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil-rights movement,” Bottoms said. “When you burn down this city, you’re burning down our community.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Loeffler acknowledged that people “have a right to protest.”
“They’re upset, I’m upset, it is disturbing what’s happening and we need to make sure that we address it in real time,” Loeffler said. “But, this activity is criminal in nature.”
She added that the violence “distracts from what we need to do to honor the memory of George Floyd and to move forward with this dialogue about how to solve our issues in this country.”
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Loeffler went on to say that she commended President Trump’s move on Sunday to designate Antifa as a terrorist organization, “because that is exactly what appears to be happening.”
Fox News’ Caitlin McFall, Peter Aitken, Dom Calicchio and Sandra Smith contributed to this report.