5 protestors arrested after disrupting Atlanta's Peachtree Road Race, police say

Five protesters were arrested after entering the route of the Peachtree Road Race and temporarily blocking a portion of the course during one of Atlanta's largest Fourth of July events, according to the Atlanta Police Department.  

Police said the demonstrators entered the race route and blocked part of the roadway while using what officers described as the "sleeping dragon" maneuver, a protest tactic intended to make it more difficult for authorities to remove participants.

"All five individuals were arrested by APD units, pending city ordinances/pedestrian traffic offenses," Atlanta police said in a statement.

One of those arrested, Mary Hooks, said the group was charged with misdemeanor pedestrian-in-a-roadway and disorderly conduct offenses. She said they are scheduled to appear in Atlanta Municipal Court on Aug. 13.  

"We want the public to come out and support," Hooks said.

Hooks said the demonstration was organized to coincide with 4th of July events marking the nation's 250th anniversary.

In a statement released after the arrests, Hooks said the group wanted to draw attention to what organizers described as calls for "landback and reparations" and opposition to what they characterize as ongoing systemic injustices in America. 

The group described the protest as a nonviolent action.

"We were arrested and charged with misdemeanor pedestrian in a roadway and disorderly conduct," Hooks said in the statement, adding that the protesters initially believed they would be taken to the Fulton County Jail before ultimately receiving misdemeanor charges.  

Hooks also praised what she described as a police liaison who advocated on the group's behalf during the arrests.

The demonstration briefly unfolded as thousands of runners and spectators participated in the annual race, one of the country's largest Independence Day road races.

Atlanta police have not announced whether any additional charges are expected.