The Georgia lawmaker arrested for knocking on the door of state Gov. Brian Kemp will not face charges, her lawyer announced.
“Facts and evidence showed to the world that Rep. Cannon committed no crime and should not have ever been arrested,” Griggs tweeted. “We thank the district attorney for her thorough review of the evidence and are weighing our next legal actions,” he added.
In a video uploaded to social media, Rep. Park Cannon can be seen speaking with a Georgia Capitol police officer outside the door to Kemp’s office. Cannon then knocks on the office door during Kemp’s signing of SB 202 before a handcuffed Cannon is seen being escorted away from the office by several officers.
The video went viral. Supporters called for Cannon’s immediate release.
Following social media backlash, Georgia State Patrol released a statement alleging that Cannon “was beating on the door to the Governor’s Office.”They then said that she was told to stop, but instead, she moved on to the Governor’s Ceremonial Office door and knocked on that door.
Cannon was facing two felony charges — felony obstruction and preventing or disrupting general assembly session, according to an arrest affidavit.
“Doors of injustice are everywhere and we cannot stop knocking,” Cannon tweeted after the good news was announced.
On Tuesday, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued an administrative order “to mitigate the impact” of new voting restrictions imposed by SB 202, signed into law in March.
“Regardless of party affiliation, all Atlanta residents deserve to not only cast their vote, but do so in a safe, open and accessible manner,” Bottoms said in a statement. “The dysfunction we saw across the state during the Primary was unacceptable. In 2020, we should be making it easier for people to exercise their Constitutional right to vote—because access to the polls is access to our democracy.”
