The Rev. Markel Hutchins, right, along with Adelina Nicholls, center, and Rich Pellegrino, are arrested while protesting the state Board of Regents’ decision to tighten its policies governing illegal immigrant applicants to Georgia colleges and universities Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2010 in Atlanta.

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4 arrested protesting at regents meeting

Morris News Service

Written by Walter Jones

2010-11-10

4 arrested protesting at regents meeting

4-arrested-protesting-regents-meeting

ATLANTA – Four pro-immigrant protesters were arrested Wednesday morning outside the monthly meeting of the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents.

They were part of a group of 15 or so chanting and waiving homemade signs protesting the regents’ decision last month to restrict enrollment of students who cannot prove their citizenship.

One of those arrested, the Rev. Markel Hutchins of the Southern Christian Leadership Coalition, told reporters during the sidewalk demonstration that the group would begin relying on civil disobedience since their verbal objections had not been heeded. “This is not about any particular group of people. This is simply a justice issue,” he said. “… We resort to civil disobedience to dramatize just how committed we are to the causes of justice.”

He went inside to the seventh floor regents board room to deliver a letter. At the time, the regents were meeting behind closed doors to talk about personnel matters.

The Atlanta Police Department stationed a half-dozen officers across the street from the protest, and two State Patrol Troopers were in the hallway outside the board room.

The police officers arrested the foursome for interfering with traffic on the street. Besides Hutchins, the arrested included Joe Beasley of the Rainbow Push Coalition, Adelina Nichols and Rich Pellegrino of the Cobb Immigrant Coalition.

Larry Pellegrini, a lobbyist for several immigrant-rights groups and a participant in the protest, said the risk of a negative public reaction to the disobedience was justified.

“Reading the tea leaves, there has to be some escalation,” he said, because the Republican leaders have shown little interest in hearing from anyone other than those opposed to undocumented immigrants.