Governor Brian Kemp addressing security concerns at the State Capitol. The remarks coming during an update on COVID-19 and the vaccination process in the state Tuesday afternoon. The governor said while peaceful demonstrations are welcome; aggression will not be tolerated.
“I want to assure everyone, from legislatures, staff, visitors, and the general public on down, that the Department of Public Safety, the Georgia State Patrol, and the Georgia National Guard take the safety and security of the Capitol, and the people here, very seriously. Given the disgraceful, un-American acts we saw last week in Washington, these gentlemen and their teams are fully prepared to deal with anything and everything that may happen in the days and weeks ahead.”
That was a sentiment echoed by Colonel Chris Wright, Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety.
“We are continuously monitoring intel and constantly updating our security plan on a continuous basis. We're well postured and well prepared to handle anything that may come in our direction that we may have to deal with. We certainly respect everyone's First Amendment right to peacefully protest, as the governor said, but we will not tolerate unlawful or violent behavior in this state. We have been very clear about that.”
General Thomas Carden with the Georgia Department of Defense also took part in the security discussion.
