Georgia mayor faces protesters amid fallout from Laken Riley’s killing

A mayor in Athens-Clarke County, Ga., was confronted by protesters at a press conference Wednesday as the community grapples with the killing of 22-year-old student Laken Riley.

Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz (D) was met with heckling protesters at a press conference to address safety in the community surrounding the University of Georgia, where Riley was found dead after she went for a run.

At the press conference, Girtz outlined “new investments” in public safety including a “real-time crime center” and a mobile surveillance trailer, among other initiatives adopted in the last year.

The suspect in Riley’s death is Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan citizen who authorities say crossed into the U.S. unlawfully in 2022.

Ibarra was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) but released for further processing. He later was arrested in New York and charged with acting in a manner to injure a child, but was released before ICE could ask local authorities to take him into custody, the Associated Press reported.

Riley’s death has sparked outrage among the community, and some Republicans have used her death as an opportunity to call out President Biden and Democrats on the subject of immigration. Democrats argue Riley’s death shouldn’t shape broad immigration policy.

The mayor attempted to address concerns about immigrants and crime, providing attendees with information about migrants moving to the county and the community’s declining murder rate. He said he “cautioned against conflating immigration and crime” because the data show the two are not connected.

Girtz addressed the idea that Athens is a sanctuary city for immigrants. He said it does not have a set definition and means different things to different people.

“We know what it means, Mayor,” one protester interrupted.

He was then met with community members shouting, “You are a liar.”

“You are guilty and got blood on your hands for this murder, sir,” the same protester said. He also called for Girtz’s resignation. Others joined in, demanding he “resign now” and “go away.”

Girtz did not address the shouting at the time and continued speaking. He later said he understands their frustration and the “trauma” people are feeling after Riley’s killing.

At the end of the press conference, he addressed the protesters who were holding signs. He said he was a high school teacher for more than 20 years and “got better behavior out of them.”

He later said all national lawmakers and presidential administrations during his tenure as a local official have failed to reach an agreement on how to address immigration, pointing to the failed bipartisan border deal drafted by the Senate.

“I urge Congress and the White House to act now and demonstrate a willingness to continue to work on complimentary legislation in the future,” he said.

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