(Paulding County, GA) The Paulding County Sheriff’s Office has been made aware, through social media, that a Black Lives Matter (BLM) protest is scheduled for Paulding County on Tuesday July 12, 2016 at 6:00 pm. Social media posts indicate that the protest will begin in Hiram on US 278/GA 6 and travel west toward the Paulding County Courthouse which is within the City of Dallas. US 278/GA 6 is one of the main thoroughfares that passes through Paulding County. At this time, this is an unsubstantiated rumor that is swirling around on social media.
Late yesterday afternoon, Sheriff Gary Gulledge reached out to black community leaders to encourage the protesters to find a way to voice their opinion without disrupting the afternoon rush hour. Sheriff Gulledge stated, “We welcome anyone who wants to peacefully voice their opinion and protest, however we cannot nor will we tolerate lawlessness.”
The Paulding County Sheriff’s Office is working with the Hiram Police Department, the Dallas Police Department, the Georgia State Patrol, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in order to help ensure that traffic will not be disrupted and to keep the protestors safe. At this time, there have been no permits filed to block traffic, close any roads, or hold a rally or protest in Paulding County.
Our social media pages have been buzzing with citizens asking if this is true. We want to make sure that our citizens know that we are aware of the possible BLM protest and that we are taking measures in order to make sure all parties involved can exercise their constitutional right in a safe and open manner.
If you have any questions or concerns or would like some additional information, please follow us on our social media pages or call us at (770) 443-3010.