{"id":807937,"date":"2020-05-30T07:03:43","date_gmt":"2020-05-30T13:03:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/?p=1007816"},"modified":"2020-05-30T07:03:43","modified_gmt":"2020-05-30T13:03:43","slug":"killer-mike-delivers-emotional-speech-to-atlanta-protestors-at-mayors-press-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/music-news\/killer-mike-delivers-emotional-speech-to-atlanta-protestors-at-mayors-press-conference\/","title":{"rendered":"Killer Mike Delivers Emotional Speech to Atlanta Protestors at Mayor\u2019s Press Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As protests in Atlanta escalated toward looting and clashes with police, Run the Jewels<\/a>\u2019 Killer Mike<\/a> appeared at the mayor\u2019s press conference to deliver an emotional speech pleading with protestors not to vandalize their city.<\/span><\/p>\n

The rapper, the son of an Atlanta police officer, said that while he has \u201ca lot of love and respect for police officers,\u201d mentioning that police department\u2019s \u201coriginal eight<\/a>\u201d African-American officers in the 1940s. \u201cHere we are 80 years later, and I watched a white officer assassinate a black man, and I know that tore your heart out\u201d Killer Mike said. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m mad as hell. I woke up wanting to see the world burn yesterday, because I\u2019m tired of seeing black men die. He casually put his knee on a human being\u2019s neck for nine minutes as he died like a zebra in the clutch of a lion\u2019s jaw.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He continued, \u201cSo that\u2019s why children are burning it to the ground. They don\u2019t know what else to do. And it is the responsibility of us to make this better right now. We don\u2019t want to see one officer charged, we want to see four officers prosecuted and sentenced. We don\u2019t want to see targets burning, we want to see the system that sets up for systemic racism burnt to the ground.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

On Friday nights, protests broke out in Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Portland, Oakland and in other cities across the country<\/a> \u2014 including Chicago, New York and Los Angeles in recent days \u2014spurred by protests in Minneapolis following the killing of George Floyd<\/a> by police.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, Killer Mike referenced the peaceful demonstrations of Martin Luther King in asking Atlanta protestors to stop destructing their own city.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am duty-bound to be here to simply say: That it is your duty not to burn your own house down for anger with an enemy. It is your duty to fortify your own house, so that you may be a house of refuge in times of organization. And now is the time to plot, plan, strategize, organize, and mobilize,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is time to beat up prosecutors you don\u2019t like at the voting booth. It is time to hold mayoral offices accountable, chiefs and deputy chiefs. Atlanta is not perfect, but we\u2019re a lot better than we ever were, and we\u2019re a lot better than cities are.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Atlanta protestors and police had a confrontation at Atlanta\u2019s CNN Center Friday, with video from the scene \u2014 including a reporter yelling \u201cshit\u201d on air when a firecracker was hurled into the building<\/a> \u2014 broadcast on the news network.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI love CNN\u2026 but I gotta say to CNN right now: Karma\u2019s a mother. Stop feeding fear and anger every day. Stop making people feel so fearful and give them hope,\u201d Killer Mike said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad [protestors] only took down a sign and defaced a building, and they\u2019re not killing human beings like that policeman did. I\u2019m glad that they only destroyed some brick and mortar and they didn\u2019t rip a father from a son, they didn\u2019t rip a son from a mother, like the policeman did.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Prior to Killer Mike, T.I. also addressed the citizens of Atlanta:<\/span><\/p>\n