Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams speaks to supporters and members of the Rabun County Democrats group on July 28, 2022 in Clayton, Georgia. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)
ATLANTA - Democratic Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams is taking aim at incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp after reports Atlanta's popular Music Midtown festival was canceled due to Georgia's gun laws.
In a statement, Abrams accused Kemp of putting his "political ambitions above the welfare of the state," saying the cancelation led to massive economic and job costs for the state.
"Brian Kemp’s dangerous and extreme gun agenda endangers the lives of Georgians, and the cancellation of Music Midtown is proof that his reckless policies endanger Georgia’s economy as well," Abrams said. "It's shameful, but not surprising, that the governor cares more about protecting dangerous people carrying guns in public than saving jobs and business in Georgia."
"In dire economic times for so many Georgians, this cancellation will cost Georgia’s economy a proven $50 million," she said. "This means that small businesses and workers who rely on events like Music Midtown and their tremendous economic impact have now lost incomes that help put food on the table and a roof over their heads."
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Music Midtown 2022 in Piedmont Park canceled
Promoters for a major music festival in Atlanta announced they have canceled this year's star studded event. Music Midtown has been a staple at Piedmont Park for years and was set to take over the area next month. How Georgia’s new gun law impacted the decision of organizers.
Organizers for the long-running festival, which was scheduled to take place on Sept, 17 and 18 in Piedmont Park, announced the cancellation on Instagram Monday.
"Hey Midtown fans - due to circumstances beyond our control, Music Midtown will no longer be taking place this year," the festival organizers announced in a statement. "We were looking forward to reuniting in September and hope we can all get back to enjoying the festival together again soon."
While organizers did not specifically say the reason behind the cancellation, outlets including Billboard reported industry sources connecting the cancellation to Georgia's "Safe Carry Protection Act." The 2014 law allows guns on government land and in government buildings, with some exceptions.
Atlanta City Council member Michael Julien Bond confirmed the decision to cancel stems from new state gun legislation which allows firearms in public spaces, including Piedmont Park.
"This is going to set a precedent, but not in the way we anticipated because what we are talking about now is exchange of freedoms," Bond said.
In 2019, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that the Atlanta Botanical Garden, despite being on land publicly owned, could lawfully prohibit guns due to it being a private entity. However, the ruling also set a test for private organizations using public land, which Billboard said created legal issues for festivals like Music Midtown, which has barred guns from the event.
According to the festival's website, the event prohibits weapons and explosives of any kind are prohibited.
"This is a huge lost economic impact for central, Midtown, Downtown, and Buckhead for sure," Bond said. "It’s already proven Music Midtown generates millions of dollars for the city of Atlanta."
Kemp has not commented on the festival's cancelation, but a close ally to the governor speaking to FOX News suggested that the festival was canceled due to low ticket sales rather than the state's gun laws.