Democrat Gubernatorial Nominee Caused the Burning of Atlanta

In this Independent Sentinel article, M. Dowling argues that Democrats’ nomination of former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms for Georgia governor should revive scrutiny of her record during the 2020 riots, crime surge, and fallout from the Rayshard Brooks case.

• The article claims Bottoms “caused the burning of Atlanta” by siding with rioters and restricting police during the unrest following George Floyd’s death and the Rayshard Brooks shooting.
• It says Bottoms promised Barack Obama she would remake Atlanta’s police department and supported defunding efforts, though the city council reportedly blocked a full defunding push.
• The piece argues Bottoms diverted money toward alternative programs while Atlanta experienced rising lawlessness and a crime wave.
• Much of the article centers on the Rayshard Brooks case, defending the officers’ actions and saying the original charges against them were politically driven.
• The article notes that Pete Skandalakis later concluded the officers “committed no crimes” and that the use of deadly force was reasonable.
• It describes the burning of the Wendy’s where Brooks was shot and says protesters later turned the site into an “autonomous zone.”
• The article blames Bottoms’ leadership for allowing conditions that preceded the killing of eight-year-old Secoriea Turner near that Wendy’s site on July 4, 2020.
• It also mentions the shooting of seven-year-old Kennedy Maxie and broader violence in Atlanta during Bottoms’ tenure.
• The author concludes that Bottoms was so politically damaged by the end of her term that she did not seek reelection, yet Democrats have now elevated her as their gubernatorial nominee.

Read the full story: https://www.independentsentinel.com/democrat-gubernatorial-nominee-caused-the-burning-of-atlanta/