Since some of you have asked, the kinds of political rallies/protests that we had a couple weeks ago and the one scheduled for Thursday afternoon in East Cobb do not require permits.
Smaller gatherings don’t need to get advance approval from Cobb County, according to a statement we received from government spokesman Ross Cavitt Thursday afternoon.
Here’s what he told us:
“But the Police Department would appreciate notice of such events. They are grateful they have had communications with organizers before recent gatherings.”
As we reported at the June 14 No Kings protest at the Roswell-Johson Ferry intersection, Cobb Police said the event went off without incident. There was an instance in which EMS crews were called for a medical emergency near the Valvoline oil change business on the northwest corner.
Estimates about the turnout varied from several hundred to more than 1,000, with the latter figures coming from people who were there and who told us.
If the latter figure is accurate, it may be a violation of the Cobb County Code, which requires a permit from the Cobb Fire Marshal’s Office for outdoor gatherings with “projected crowds exceeding 1,000 persons” (Sec. 54-54.2, under Operational permits).
We say may because another provision under that section also states that “crowd calculations shall be estimated at one time, not throughout the event.”
The City of Marietta, which has many special events, allows gatherings up to 2,000 people without a permit.
The East Cobb anti-Trump rallies have been organized by Indivisible, a liberal political advocacy organization.
At the June 14 event, we didn’t see any activity that roamed out into the roads, or in access points to shopping centers and other buildings. The protesters held up signs, chanted, and asked motorists to honk their horns in support.
Thursday’s rally, like the first, was specifically to protest Trump’s immigration policies and detentions.
Related:
- Cobb Police cadets crowned Georgia state champions
- Boy, 12, injured after being hit by van on Jamerson Road
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