An Atlanta protester describes what it was like to be arrested while peacefully protesting

Courtesy of Vanessa Vigo

• Vanessa Vigo, an event production manager in Atlanta, was arrested while protesting peacefully near City Hall on June 1.

• She said law enforcement agencies closed in around her and a group of other people in front of a church, then arrested them for being in a roadway, though they weren´t in a roadway.

• Vigo is one of more than 10,000 people who have been arrested across the country within the last week amid civil unrest over police brutality and the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

• She described enduring chaos, disorganization, and callous treatment throughout her arrest, as well as a feeling of helplessness at the hands of authorities.

• Insider has lightly edited Vigo´s story for clarity.

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Anybody who goes to a protest to some extent accepts that an arrest could be an inevitable occurrence. But there´s not a bone in my body that thought I would be getting arrested w