A speech that the mayor of Athens, Georgia, was delivering addressing Laken Riley’s murder was interrupted by protesters, who called for his resignation.

Mayor Kelly Girtz spoke about Riley’s death that occurred in Athens, during which he clarified what the term sanctuary city means. In 2019, the Athens government had passed a resolution welcoming all immigrants to the city, regardless of if they were legal, a resolution that has returned to the public spotlight after the main suspect in Riley’s death, Jose Ibarra, was reported to be an illegal immigrant.