x
Breaking News
More () »

Georgia senator arrested at vote demonstration at state capitol

Georgia public safety officials say police arrested 15 protesters, including Democratic state Sen. Nikema Williams, during a demonstration inside the state Capitol as they called for uncounted ballots from last week's election to be tallied.

Georgia public safety officials say police arrested 15 protesters, including Democratic state Sen. Nikema Williams, during a demonstration inside the state Capitol as they called for uncounted ballots from last week's election to be tallied.

The Georgia Department of Public Safety said in an emailed statement Tuesday that demonstrators were charged with misdemeanors under a law that makes it illegal to disrupt meetings of the state legislature with "loud, threatening, or abusive language."

Senator Williams was among those arrested and taken to the Fulton County jail. Police ordered dozens of demonstrators to disperse from the second-floor rotunda Tuesday afternoon as lawmakers began a special session to approve funds for hurricane recovery.

Supporters of Democrat Stacey Abrams say thousands of uncounted votes could still tip the governor's race into a Dec. 4 runoff against Republican Brian Kemp.

Abrams campaign team released a statement saying: "Shamefully, State Senator Nikema Williams was arrested while doing the job she swore an oath to do, standing in solidarity with her constituents to support the core values of our democracy and demand that every Georgia vote be counted. The charges against Senator Williams should be dropped immediately."

Before You Leave, Check This Out