As the 52 arrested Occupy Atlanta protesters began leaving the Atlanta City Jail Wednesday afternoon at around 2:30 p.m., they were greeted and cheered by their supporters. The protestors had been arrested Wednesday morning in Woodruff Park for staying in the park too late. The arrested protesters were charged with use of a public park at night, which could bring up to six month in jail and a $1,000 fine. There were nine lawyers defending them pro bono. Lawyers representing the protesters included Musa M. Ghanayem, Robbin Shipp, Mawuli Davis, Marcia Fuller, Shantel Martin, Antavius Weems and David Markus. All are volunteering their services.
After being released, the protestors held an impromptu press conference outside the jail and also mouthed their grudge to the reporters outside the jail. One of the most high-profile protesters, Joe Beasley of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, was among those most critical of Mayor Kasim Reed’s order to clear the park. “I’m going straight from here to get a recall petition,” said Beasley.
Atlanta Municipal Judge Crystal Gaines has set a March 9 arraignment hearing for the protesters, and agreed to the $100 signature bonds. Assistant solicitor Andrew Taylor expressed his concern that the defendants might not return to court for trial and also suggested that the bond be raised to $500 and that each of those jailed be required to pay that amount.
“There was a lawful command that the officers gave all these defendants; they did not follow that lawful command,” Taylor told the judge. “So how are we going to say on a signature bond that you can just come back to court, when you’ve already demonstrated that you will not follow a lawful command to leave, so how can we trust that they will follow a lawful command to come back to court?”
However, Gaines denied the request and also said that any of the protesters who are homeless and had no address would be allowed to provide an Occupy Atlanta address in signing their bonds.