On June 2, the Tent City perched outside the Turner Field Stadium was taken down by Georgia State University Police Department (GSUPD). The demonstration was used to protest against the Georgia State and Carter Development. Tent City has carried on for 61 days without interruption up until May 31, when a supporter was arrested and banned from Georgia State property.
GSUPD Police Chief Joseph Spillane told The Signal the reason the protester was arrested is because of prior trespassing on Georgia State property.
“It was someone on prior criminal trespassing from the college. He was given a criminal trespass in December so he couldn’t be on school property because he’s not a student and he was back on the property in early May in Tent City,” Spillane said. “We warned him to leave the property and not come back and then on the 31st he was seen there again on the property so he was arrested for criminal trespass.”
According to Spillane, Tent City was dismantled, because of community complaints.
“There were community complaints about people on the corner and several complaints about trash pilled up on the corner. One complained that he stopped at a light and there was yelling and he felt intimated,” Spillane said.
There was no agreement made with the university for the supporters to station outside of the stadium. According to Spillane, Georgia State had the authority to remove them at any time. However, he confirmed there was no advance warning, when they showed up this morning.
“There was no agreement with the University. We could have told them to leave the first day, the thirtieth day or the sixtieth day,” Spillane said. “We have the responsibility as property owners to make sure certain things don’t happen on our property or the property we patrol.”
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