ATLANTA — Six people have been arrested as the ATL Homeless Union staged a protest involving setting up tents in front of City Hall to advocate for the homeless.
The ATL Homeless Union said that today’s protest was the first in a series of daily protests until their demands were met.
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“We are not satisfied with the limited shelters that treat us less-than human, a warming station in the winter and some blankets. We are also not satisfied with the lack of healthcare treatment we receive at Grady,” leaders said in a release.
Homeless leaders also say they are tired of the City of Atlanta talking to everyone except them about what they need.
This afternoon @Atlanta_Police arrested 7 people for trespassing following a protest over demands to help aid homeless in the city of #Atlanta @wsbtv pic.twitter.com/OJNdHnmRP5
— Scott Mottern (@SwagOn2) July 5, 2021
According to Atlanta police, protestors were at City Hall as early as 7:30 a.m. when they were called out. Homeless advocates and the APD Hope team allowed protestors to voice their concerns and pointed them to available resources.
Police say within hours most of the protestors had packed up their tents and left City Hall. Those who remained were warned that if they did not leave, they would be arrested for trespassing.
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At 1:15 p.m., police arrested six people and charged them with criminal trespass. One of those arrested suffered a small cut on the finger and was complaining of neck pain.
Homelessness in metro Atlanta has become a local crisis. In fact, several non-profits estimate that as many as 2,000 people, including young children, are forced to sleep on local streets at night because they do not have access to a shelter.
The group plans on returning to City Hall on Tuesday when the building reopens after the holiday to try and get a meeting with Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
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