1 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 1: From Futuro Media. It's Latino USA. I'm Maria ino Josa. 2 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:19,280 Speaker 1: It's been a little bit over a week since the 3 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: death of George Floyd, a black Minneapolis man who died 4 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:26,759 Speaker 1: in police custody after a white officer pinned him with 5 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 1: his knee on his neck as three other police officers 6 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:33,839 Speaker 1: looked on. Floyd was known by his family as a 7 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 1: gentleman who moved from Houston to Minnesota searching for a 8 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:41,879 Speaker 1: better life. He worked security at restaurants and clubs, including 9 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:47,559 Speaker 1: the Gonga Latin Bistro and Luebo Rodeo in Minneapolis until 10 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:51,200 Speaker 1: the work dried up because of this stay at home orders. 11 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 1: Since his death, captured on a shocking video and seen 12 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 1: by millions, protests have erupted all over the country and 13 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 1: the world, with tens of thousands of protesters taking to 14 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 1: the streets to say his name, calling for an end 15 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:08,840 Speaker 1: to police brutality against black men and women. One of 16 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 1: the cities where residents have taken to the streets en 17 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 1: mass is Atlanta. It's a pivotal city for the civil 18 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 1: rights movement. Now, for four days in a row, thousands 19 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 1: of people continue to take to the streets calling for 20 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 1: a change to a policing system they say is racist 21 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 1: and is designed to oppress black people without repercussions. One 22 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 1: of our very own producers from Futuro Media, Julieta Martinelli, 23 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:37,160 Speaker 1: was raised in Atlanta and has been there on the 24 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 1: ground covering some of the protests. So we wanted to 25 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: check in with Julieta. Julieta just first of all, almost das, 26 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:46,200 Speaker 1: how are you doing. How are you feeling. 27 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 2: Ola, Maria? Yeah, I'm doing pretty good, just trying to 28 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 2: remain vigilant and be in the streets. 29 00:01:56,280 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: So, Julieta, you are from Atlanta, you were born there, 30 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 1: but you grew up there, and you're you're a beat 31 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 1: street reporter. So you've covered other protests and you were 32 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:10,840 Speaker 1: at the protests that started on that first Friday night. 33 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 1: So what happened in Atlanta on that first Friday night 34 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 1: of protests? 35 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, So, Maria, like many other cities, as you mentioned, 36 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 2: across the country, people in Atlanta wanted to go to 37 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 2: the street and really just say George Floyd's name, just 38 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 2: to honor him and really call attention to police brutality. 39 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 2: What ended up happening was that people were not allowed 40 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:37,280 Speaker 2: to march. They were blocked off about a block away 41 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:40,400 Speaker 2: from the park, right in front of the CNN Center. 42 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 2: And I stood there for I mean at least three 43 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:46,640 Speaker 2: hours with protesters just trying to figure out why they 44 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 2: wouldn't let them keep walking. So, you know, that raised 45 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 2: some tensions. People started feeling like they were stuck. They 46 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 2: were surrounded by police officers, officers and riot gear, hummers 47 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:01,359 Speaker 2: and humviies, and you know, it felt like a very 48 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 2: militarized presence, and that really started to raise tensions, and 49 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 2: you know, as you saw it made national news. Later, 50 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 2: there was some altercations with police and some vandalism on 51 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:13,840 Speaker 2: some properties. 52 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:17,720 Speaker 1: There was a curfew that started on the weekend on Monday, 53 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 1: when protesters were out, the police wanted to enforce this curfew, 54 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:26,440 Speaker 1: and then it got really problematic. So what happened when 55 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 1: this curfew happened on Monday night? 56 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:33,399 Speaker 2: Actually I was following a group that had been protesting. 57 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 2: It was a very peaceful protest. People had actually been 58 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 2: allowed to march this time, and they made their way, 59 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:44,120 Speaker 2: you know, sort of a very similar route than what 60 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 2: they intended to do on Friday, completely peaceful, chanting. People 61 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 2: from the sidewalks joined. It was a very large group, 62 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 2: and at eight o'clock on the dot, they were standing 63 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 2: in front of this line of officers in riot gear, 64 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 2: and organizers started saying, Okay, it's time to go. You know, 65 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 2: they curfews at nine o'clock, so they were trying to 66 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 2: get people out of there safely an hour beforehand, and 67 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 2: I was actually very surprised the entire group got up 68 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 2: and started walking away. What happened was that National guards 69 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 2: started setting up roadblocks and there were threads of using 70 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:21,680 Speaker 2: gas if people went down those roads, and so protesters 71 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:24,640 Speaker 2: were started panicking. I mean, they didn't know where to go. 72 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:28,280 Speaker 2: So they started getting further and further away from the park, 73 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 2: trying to go around it as far out as possible, 74 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 2: and along the way, you know, people split up, some people, 75 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:36,760 Speaker 2: you know, went down the roads they told them not 76 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:38,880 Speaker 2: to go to. They were just getting really desperate to 77 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 2: get back to their cars before curfew, knowing that they 78 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 2: would be arrested if they were in the street. After nine, 79 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 2: I continued on with a group of about four or 80 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 2: five people who were parked in the same place that 81 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 2: I was, and I was actually really thankful that I 82 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:55,919 Speaker 2: was out in the street and got to see this 83 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:59,120 Speaker 2: for myself, because what happened was when we reached the 84 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:01,960 Speaker 2: parking lot where they vehicles, where the National Guard was 85 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:05,680 Speaker 2: set up and completely stop people from being able to cross. 86 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 2: So what ensued after that was two and a half 87 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:13,160 Speaker 2: hours of walking around the city talking to police officers 88 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:16,159 Speaker 2: who threaten to arrest them, asking where to go, being 89 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:20,000 Speaker 2: sent here, being sent there, and not being able to 90 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 2: get to their vehicles. And so, you know, the idea 91 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:26,160 Speaker 2: of the curfew is to limit the amount of people 92 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:28,960 Speaker 2: that are protesting, and they're just sort of saying on 93 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:30,919 Speaker 2: the news to hear this a lot. They're trying to 94 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:33,919 Speaker 2: weed out the people that are there to peacefully protest 95 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:36,440 Speaker 2: and those that are there to cause damage and vandalism 96 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 2: at night. But I think what actually happened is is 97 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:42,120 Speaker 2: exacerbated tension with the peaceful protesters. 98 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 1: So you keep on mentioning this tension between law enforcement 99 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:50,080 Speaker 1: and the protesters. It seems that you're talking about kind of, 100 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:54,080 Speaker 1: you know, a kind of historic thing, this tension there, 101 00:05:54,680 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 1: but very specifically it seems to be increasing in Atlanta. 102 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:04,799 Speaker 1: And I'm just wondering about your thoughts as a journalist 103 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:05,719 Speaker 1: as you're watching this. 104 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:10,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, Maria, I think from the very first day, just 105 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:14,040 Speaker 2: the fact that protesters were not allowed to march, they 106 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:17,640 Speaker 2: were stuck in front of the CNN Center. People felt unseen. 107 00:06:18,279 --> 00:06:21,280 Speaker 2: They wanted to take to the streets to share their frustration, 108 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:24,240 Speaker 2: and they weren't even allowed to walk. They were kept 109 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:26,840 Speaker 2: in front of the CNN Center for hours, corralled in 110 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:30,080 Speaker 2: by police officers. And I think this kind of actions 111 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:34,279 Speaker 2: by the Atlanta Police Department are really making tensions rise 112 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:38,240 Speaker 2: in a situation that is already difficult. So in the 113 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:41,480 Speaker 2: first day, after tear gas was deployed on this crowd 114 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 2: that was sitting in the street, people started feeling like 115 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 2: sitting ducks, you know. So after this big round of 116 00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 2: tear gas, some started setting fire to police cars and 117 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:57,920 Speaker 2: I recorded some of it. There's some bullets, sounds like 118 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:00,800 Speaker 2: rubber bullets or tear gas are like what we were 119 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:06,800 Speaker 2: hearing earlier, And there's three cars on fire. People are sharing. 120 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 2: So going back to the protest on Monday, a protester 121 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:32,400 Speaker 2: told me that they had learned from what happened over 122 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:34,920 Speaker 2: the weekend that the goal now was to always keep 123 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 2: moving to avoid situations where they could be corralled because 124 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 2: the officers are just throwing gas at the people. 125 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 1: What you're saying, Julietta, that's very interesting because a lot 126 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:47,000 Speaker 1: of the footage that we're seeing or that we're hearing about, 127 00:07:47,120 --> 00:07:50,600 Speaker 1: is that you know that the protesters are instigating in 128 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:52,760 Speaker 1: some way, shape or form, And it seems what you're 129 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:56,160 Speaker 1: saying is that what you were actually able to witness 130 00:07:56,240 --> 00:07:57,000 Speaker 1: was the opposite. 131 00:07:57,520 --> 00:07:59,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, in no way, you know, are we 132 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 2: dining right? 133 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:00,920 Speaker 3: That? 134 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 2: You know? There were in Atlanta the first night, there 135 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 2: were four police vehicles that on fire, there were some 136 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 2: people who threw water bottles at the police officers, and 137 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:13,440 Speaker 2: there was some vandalism in front of the CNN Center. 138 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:16,640 Speaker 2: All of that is true. What I'm saying as someone 139 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:19,120 Speaker 2: who was on the ground was that the vast majority 140 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 2: of people didn't participate in this, And even the actions 141 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:27,800 Speaker 2: that did happen, they didn't happen until tear gas was deployed, 142 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 2: until batons came out, until people were pushed. So I 143 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 2: think it's really important that we look at this objectively 144 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 2: and really as as why these actions happened. 145 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:39,559 Speaker 1: So, Juliet, that you've been watching this as it has 146 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:42,559 Speaker 1: been evolving, where do you think Atlanta goes from here? 147 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:47,679 Speaker 2: So? This weekend, two police officers were fired and others 148 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:49,840 Speaker 2: were placed on death duty. You know, they were seen 149 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:53,679 Speaker 2: attacking two young college students on TV, and Atlanta's mayor, 150 00:08:53,760 --> 00:08:57,280 Speaker 2: who is a black woman, went on television and said that, 151 00:08:57,320 --> 00:08:59,120 Speaker 2: you know, this is the new norm, that they're not 152 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:02,480 Speaker 2: going to drag out these investigations, that there would be 153 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:05,840 Speaker 2: She implied that there would be a stronger hand on cops. 154 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 2: And actually on Tuesday there was an announcement that the 155 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:11,800 Speaker 2: six officers that were involved in the arrest of the 156 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:15,560 Speaker 2: two students had actually been charged. But it's important to 157 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:18,960 Speaker 2: remember that Atlanta is a resilient city. It's you know, 158 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:21,800 Speaker 2: smack dab in the middle of Georgia, a state that 159 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:25,199 Speaker 2: has a complicated history of racism. You know, Atlanta has 160 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:29,880 Speaker 2: a super complicated history with police brutality. We had the 161 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 2: famous Red Dogs that's like a drug and narcotic unit 162 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:37,480 Speaker 2: that was known for you know, issuing no knock warrants, 163 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:42,080 Speaker 2: for breaking into people's homes, for shooting, civil rights violations, 164 00:09:42,559 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 2: and so there is a lot of complicated history here, 165 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:49,800 Speaker 2: and yet Atlanta is known as the Black Mecca, and 166 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:52,960 Speaker 2: so I think it's encouraging to see these protests you know, 167 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:57,520 Speaker 2: youth holding each other accountable online, encouraging others to protest 168 00:09:57,559 --> 00:10:01,520 Speaker 2: and to protest peacefully. You know, there's also pending legislations 169 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:05,559 Speaker 2: statewide looking to make it easier to charge police officers 170 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:07,959 Speaker 2: for use of force. And I think there's a growing 171 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:12,400 Speaker 2: awareness of the struggles that black people have, and in 172 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:15,760 Speaker 2: these crowds were very diverse, and I just want to 173 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:18,439 Speaker 2: end with a moment that I thought was very beautiful. 174 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:21,000 Speaker 2: There was a young man with a Black Lives Matter 175 00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:23,960 Speaker 2: on top of the CNN sign. Another young man with 176 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:26,920 Speaker 2: a Mexican flag climbed up there, and you know, for 177 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:29,520 Speaker 2: a moment, I wasn't sure how to feel about it. 178 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:32,800 Speaker 2: I worry that, you know, this was not the moment. 179 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:37,040 Speaker 2: And the crowd erupted in cheers. They were clapping, you know, 180 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:40,320 Speaker 2: these two flags were waving together. And as someone who 181 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:43,200 Speaker 2: grew up here, you know, in neighborhoods where you know, 182 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:45,240 Speaker 2: most of my friends were black and Latino, I thought 183 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:48,080 Speaker 2: it was very encouraging and a good sign of the 184 00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:51,079 Speaker 2: future that there's going to be unity and that people 185 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:53,280 Speaker 2: will continue working together for change. 186 00:10:53,840 --> 00:10:56,720 Speaker 1: Jullieta, thank you so much for your reporting and analysis 187 00:10:56,760 --> 00:10:59,360 Speaker 1: and most of all, stay safe. 188 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 2: Thank you, Madi. 189 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:14,520 Speaker 1: As of June two, nearly four hundred people have been 190 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:17,960 Speaker 1: arrested in Atlanta, and, like in many other cities across 191 00:11:17,960 --> 00:11:22,920 Speaker 1: the country, Georgia's governor has deployed thousands of National guardsmen. 192 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:47,920 Speaker 1: The city continues under a strict curfew. This episode was 193 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:52,439 Speaker 1: produced by Julietta Martinelli and edited by Sophia Palisaka. The 194 00:11:52,520 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 1: Latino USA team includes mie Ma Sis, Luis Trees, Antonia Seejuidro, 195 00:11:57,480 --> 00:12:03,680 Speaker 1: gene Yamoca, Alisa, and Alejandra Selesa, with help from Raoul Vedes. 196 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:08,080 Speaker 1: Our engineers are Stephanie Lebou and Julia Caruso. Additional engineering 197 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:10,960 Speaker 1: this week by Lea Shaw. Our director of programming and 198 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:15,520 Speaker 1: Operations is Natalia Fidel Hutz. Our digital editor is Amandel Cantan. 199 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:19,000 Speaker 1: Our New York Women's Foundation Ignite fellow is Julia Rocha. 200 00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:22,480 Speaker 1: Our theme music was composed by Zenger Rubinos. If you 201 00:12:22,559 --> 00:12:24,520 Speaker 1: like the music you heard on this episode, stop i 202 00:12:24,640 --> 00:12:28,000 Speaker 1: Letinousa dot Org and check out our weekly Spotify playlist. 203 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:31,480 Speaker 1: I'm your host and executive producer Maria Njosa. Join us 204 00:12:31,480 --> 00:12:34,360 Speaker 1: again on our next episode, and in the meantime find 205 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:37,120 Speaker 1: us on all of your social media Stay Safe. 206 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:44,440 Speaker 3: CEO Latino USA is made possible in part by California Endowment, 207 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:48,840 Speaker 3: building a strong state by improving the health of all Californians, 208 00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:56,439 Speaker 3: The wind Coat Foundation, and the Heising Simons Foundation. Unlocking knowledge, opportunity, 209 00:12:56,679 --> 00:13:00,719 Speaker 3: and possibilities. More at HS foundation dot org. 210 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:04,959 Speaker 1: I