Family seeks change after death in Ga. homeless camp sweep
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - A week after a man was killed during a city sweep of a homeless encampment, his family and community organizers are gathering at Atlanta City Hall to demand change.
At 1 p.m., Cornelius Taylor’s family, their legal representation and community organizers will address the public and hold a rally. Then they will deliver a letter to the mayor’s office before attending the 2 p.m. Atlanta City Council meeting, asking for the sweeps to be suspended.
“What’s clear is that Atlanta’s approach to ending homelessness has failed,” Housing Justice League Executive Director Alison Johnson said in a statement. “Gone are the days where we can sit back and allow the city to play whack-a-mole with human beings in struggle. Instead of making this crisis less visible, it’s time we push our city leaders to address the root of the problem.”
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More than a dozen social justice organizations will attend the rally, including Hosea Helps, Black Man Lab and Black Woman Lab, United Youth Conference and more.
On Jan. 16, 49-year-old Taylor was killed by an Atlanta Public Works truck as it cleared out tents on Auburn Avenue. He had just gotten a job and “had real aspirations for his future,” organizers said.
Taylor’s death sparked grief and outrage in Atlanta. The community held a vigil last Friday, which City Council Member Liliana Bakhtiari attended.
“We cannot criminalize people for being homeless. We have to put people in housing first,” she told Atlanta News First. “Listen to the people on the ground doing the work. we stop, we assess, we find out what we can do.”
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