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Activist urges Conyers council to oppose SB 375, links bill to free-speech concerns
Summary
An activist journalist urged the Conyers City Council to pass a resolution opposing Georgia bill SB 375, saying it would chill criticism and urging legislators to protect free speech; council accepted information materials but did not vote on a resolution at the meeting.
Conyers — Peter Friedrick, who identified himself as an activist journalist, urged the Conyers City Council to pass a resolution opposing Georgia Senate Bill 375, saying the measure would 'weaponize' civil-rights enforcement against critics and threaten classroom speech.
Friedrick told the council he has traveled to multiple municipalities to warn officials about the bill and linked his appeal to broader concerns about regulatory failure. "Pass a resolution opposing SB 375. Make it clear that Conyers protects free speech, not foreign governments," he said, and asked the council to forward such a resolution to state legislators. He provided an information packet to each council member.
Friedrick said SB 375 would require agencies, including local governments, to consider a definition of "Hindu phobia" in discrimination investigations, and he accused advocacy groups pushing the bill of seeking to use local proclamations and endorsements to gain legitimacy. He compared the potential consequences of SB 375 to the city's experience with a prior industrial incident that he said left residents with lingering health effects.
Council members accepted Friedrick's packet but did not act on his specific request during the meeting. Mayor Vince Evans thanked him and asked Friedrick to leave the materials with staff.
What happens next: Friedrick urged residents to contact state legislators. The transcript records no council motion or staff directive to draft a resolution opposing SB 375 during this meeting.
