Georgia Lawmaker Arrested For Knocking On Governor’s Door As He Approved Voting Restrictions

A Democratic representative was arrested on Thursday as Governor Brian Kemp signed disastrous voter restrictions into law behind closed doors.

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Park Cannon was knocking on those doors when she was arrested.

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According to State Police, the representative “was advised that she was disturbing what was going on inside and if she did not stop, she would be placed under arrest.”

Video of the moment shows Cannon politely talking with an officer who was stationed outside of Kemp’s door. At one point, the officer moved to the side, and she knocked on the door again. It was then that two officers pulled her hands behind her back and placed her under arrest.

Cannon was ultimately charged with felony obstruction of law enforcement and disrupting a session of the General Assembly, although NPR points out that Georgia’s Constitution specifically prohibits lawmakers from being arrested “during sessions of the General Assembly”  unless they are committing treason, felonies, or breaching the peace.

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Meanwhile, on the other side of that door, Kemp signed into law new restrictions that impact voting by mail and ballot drop boxes, gives the state more control over local elections, and making it illegal to provide food and water to people waiting in line to vote.

These restrictions are expected to disproportionately disenfranchise Black voters, something its many, many critics say is the entire point.

Republicans lost presidential and senatorial elections in Georgia so they changed the rules to make it harder for black people to vote. It’s no more complicated than that. The law doesn’t make it harder to cheat; it is a form of cheating, a word that understates the malice of it. https://t.co/cnRWpp6czI

— Adam Serwer (@AdamSerwer) March 25, 2021

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With that in mind, Kemp’s photo of him signing the restrictions into law surrounded by white men juxtaposed with the image of Cannon, a Black woman elected to represent her fellow Georgians, getting arrested right outside his door says a lot.

Look at all these white guys, watching another white guy, sign a new voter suppression restriction law, while House Rep. Cannon was arrested for knocking on Brian Kemp’s door.

Law enforcement literally dragging out a sitting state Rep. from the Capitol.

It’s the #NewJimCrowLaw pic.twitter.com/y34xrIbhVk

— The Jewish Ginger Resister (@EricHaftelLive) March 26, 2021

Rep. Park Cannon was arrested for knocking on Brian Kemp’s door as he was signing an egregious voter suppression bill. This is disgusting. These officers had no right to arrest her or treat her so aggressively. They should face repercussions and Rep. Cannon must be released. pic.twitter.com/YueplkTu7I

— Ben O’Keefe (he/him) (@benjaminokeefe) March 26, 2021

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I can’t stop thinking about how the insurrectionists weren’t arrested on Jan 6 for storming the Capitol but Rep. Cannon was arrested for knocking on Kemp’s door. pic.twitter.com/wya9PzPY84

— D Villella (@dvillella) March 26, 2021

This is insane: Georgia Dem rep @Cannonfor58 was arrested for trying to watch Brian Kemp sign new voter suppression bill. Look at how she is treated by police. This is straight out of Jim Crow pic.twitter.com/zRpMWumbkQ

— Ari Berman (@AriBerman) March 25, 2021

Cannon tweeted Thursday night that she had been released from jail, and intends to continue to fight against voter suppression.

We will not live in fear and we will not be controlled. We have a right to our future and a right to our freedom. We will come together and continue fighting white supremacy in all its forms. https://t.co/kKsiPZBuqV

— Representative Park Cannon (@Cannonfor58) March 26, 2021

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*First Published: March 26, 2021, 6:45 am