Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed responds to weekend protests

ATLANTA - Demonstrators took to the streets outside one of Atlanta’s busiest malls over the weekend. Many with the Black Lives Matter movement were picketing Saturday afternoon. Monday, Mayor Kasim Reed said he was disappointed with the behavior of some of the protesters, and said it will not be tolerated.

Mayor Reed said some shoppers were insulted and intimidated while trying to get in and out of Lenox Square. The mayor’s message about protesting has always been simple: “Demonstrate all you want, but don't infringe upon the rights of others who want to come and go as they please."

Protests by Black Lives Matter or any other group will be tolerated to a point, said the mayor.

"The racist language is totally unacceptable to me. it was being directed at people who were simply trying to live their lives and it won't be tolerated," said Mayor Reed.

Some white customers who were trying to go inside Lennox Square also said they were hassled. And around the mall police used measured enforcement to try to keep everything moving. For motorists it was a headache.

“Blocking intersections is unacceptable to me. We will work to make sure that doesn't happen in the future,” said Mayor Reed.

For 15 to 20 minutes at a time, the demonstrators rotated through the various mall entrances to block them, a bit of a cat and mouse game. The mayor said a segment of the demonstrators were determined to try officers' patience.

So, what happens next time? Will police officers allow protesters to once again choke off entrances to businesses?

"The answer is 'no.' But we have to manage it as best we can. What you're doing is, is you're trying to create a series of events from escalating into something more," said Mayor Reed. "Managing hundreds of people expressing their First Amendment rights is much more complicated than it might appear to be on television. We don't just make snap judgments or snap decisions. And I'm really proud of our police officers and the way in a they're handling it."

The mayor said to anyone who got caught in the commotion over the weekend, he begs for your perspective. The Atlanta Police Department ended up keeping things peaceful with fewer than five arrests.