ATLANTA — For Georgia NAACP President Gerald Griggs, the last few days have been filled with organizing and protests in solidarity with the demonstrations happening in Memphis, Tennessee.
The protests were in response to the newly released body camera and surveillance footage showing the arrest and beating death of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols by police.
The events in the video preceded his death and have since started a nationwide conversation around procedures. In Georgia, protests have taken place across metro Atlanta, including several dozen people gathering outside of Centennial Olympic Park over the weekend.
Griggs said aside from protests, it's time to push for legislative access that will prevent further tragedy.
"This is not about being anti-law enforcement," Griggs said. "Actually is pro-law enforcement because it's pro-justice."
Griggs explained the video was personally jarring to watch and he felt conflicted in having to watch another Black man die during an encounter with law enforcement.
"I hoped that I would never see a video like George is again, but I knew I would," he said.
Griggs said the Georgia NAACP has a list of demands he wants to see elected officials put into action to prevent similar incidents from continuing to happen in Georgia.
The Georgia NAACP's demands are as follows:
Body cameras on all sworn officers in Georgia
Special independent prosecutors appointed in all police-involved deaths
No officers being allowed to testify in their own police-involved cases before the grand jury
A public statewide database for the use of force for fired officers
Griggs explained he's reaching out to local lawmakers to hopefully begin conversations in the coming days. He told 11Alive he hopes to eventually sit down with Gov. Brian Kemp in order to see legislation signed into law.
"We are in the legislative session, so the best way for them to weigh in is legislative change," he said.
Further vigils and protests have been planned, but Griggs wants more than just the public's attention. He said he wants to see change.
"Don't use Tennessee as a panacea," he said. "There are issues within our own departments here in Atlanta and here around the state that they are quiet on."