Citizens protest Build An Ark in Downtown Ellijay
News March 5, 2022
ELLIJAY, Ga. – The scheduled protest to gather outside of the Gilmer County Courthouse on Friday, March 4, 2022, stretched out as some members traveled inside as well.
Shortly after arriving at 8 a.m. and then beginning the protest closer to 8:30 a.m., members of the event decided to split into two parties so that some could continue outside while others sat inside the arraignment hearings to follow the case against Susan Littlejohn and the Build An Ark Animal Rescue.
Protestors continued through the morning, even gaining a few who saw the protest and stopped to join for a bit as one of the three major organizers of the protest, Ernie Taylor, said he was very excited for the response he was seeing despite the protest being planned rather last-minute.
Numerous times, these protestors received honks, yells, and thumbs up from passing vehicles showing support. Overall, the event saw over 30 protestors between the inside and outside. Taylor said that many of those protesting had once volunteered for Build An Ark, but have now taken to marching against the animal rescue and what they are calling “cruelty.”
Taylor spoke about efforts in 2017 when he and others attempted to raise awareness on the issue. At the time, he received communications from an attorney including cease and desist letters.
Now, Taylor said in the early morning that he was committed and already thinking of another protest if the case went to trial. Later Friday afternoon, that thought of if changed to when as the official “not guilty” plea was spread among protestors and other interested parties. Taylor hopes to have more present for the May 11, 2022, court case date.
Protestors gathered along the square in Downtown Ellijay with homemade signs and matching shirts to protest against Build An Ark.
The protestors have not been told to stop this time, instead more and more are joining the cause. Cheryl Flanagan was once a volunteer at the Build An Ark animal rescue. Having taken a goat and two sheep, Flanagan said she was able to help the sheep recover, but not the goat. In the process of trying to apply for a sanctuary permit, Flanagan said she has land near her home that could be used to care for animals like those at Build An Ark, but is still in the process.
She went on to say that she had volunteered for years at the rescue but was not aware for much of the time as she would offer food and help at other locations before Gilmer’s Build An Ark. Flanagan noted that she joined the protests after seeing some of the things for herself and seeing photos of animals in the barn.
Taylor said it’s about accountability and being held responsible. With other rescues and citizens having already taken animals and others on stand-by waiting to take the rest. Taylor stated, “I would hope that Coosawattee would follow through now and make sure that she’s evicted. Obviously, from a humane perspective, that she can find a suitable home… and the animals go to proper care.”
Some spoke to the future of the location and continue work with a proper animal rescue at the location of Build An Ark. But talks have not reached that point as the case is still ongoing. Taylor noted during the protest that they have not reached out to anyone one the Coosawattee Board or the County Board of Commissioners and have not yet been invited to speak with any of them.
The county is involved, however, as Animal Shelter Director Daniel Laukka has helped with and taken several animals on the location. But its not just the county but also individual citizens like Flanagan and owners of other rescues that have also taken animals, rescues like Jennifer Criteser’s J&C Farm and Rescue in Blue Ridge, Georgia, who took several rabbits from Build An Ark.
Criteser spoke about the animals themselves, having heard about Build An Ark through the Rescue community. Criteser said she hopes for help for the animals and Littlejohn more than anything. Looking at more than rabbits, Criteser is looking to take a few birds and guinea pigs as well from Build An Ark. Criteser said, “I want to take whatever I can to give a happy home and rehabilitate and maybe adopt out so they have good forever homes.”
Arraigned on two counts of animal abuse and two counts of animal cruelty, the case is set to go before the Magistrate Judge on May 11, 2022.
Friday will see protest against Build An Ark in Ellijay
News March 2, 2022
ELLIJAY, Ga. – With permits and permission completed, a group of citizens will be gathering this Friday Morning outside of the Gilmer County Courthouse in a planned protest against Build An Ark animal rescue.
Looking for a peaceful protest according to statements made, the group is gathering in the county parking lot next to the courthouse and behind the Gilmer Chamber Downtown Welcome Center.
According to Martha Cash, one of those who sparked the idea and initiated the protest, they planned the protest to line up with the arraignment of Susan Littlejohn, of Build An Ark, on animal cruelty charges.
Coosawattee has already terminated the rental contract for Build An Ark in February according to reports and Gilmer County’s Animal Control has taken animals from the facility. However, this is not the first time that Build An Ark has been investigated. Complaints and reports in 2017 saw the Department of Agriculture investigate allegations at the site. At that time, Sheriff Stacy Nicholson told FYN that cases like this are referred to the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Natural Resources as they are better equipped and better trained for such investigations.
The Department of Agriculture is once again involved this year as Build An Ark again faces allegations on animal cruelty. Vets have been onsite and forced relinquishment of animals in the rescue. Cash said that Gilmer County Animal Shelter Director Daniel Laukka has been “instrumental in getting most of the animals out.”
However, Linda Lowe, another of the organizers for Friday’s protest, said that eviction isn’t the end of the issue. She is pushing to remove the remainder of the animals from the facility. Lowe stated that there are three other rescue organizations looking to take the rest of the animals. Lowe volunteered at Build An Ark for four years and is setting the protest to send a message to the judge for Friday that she wants a prevention from any possibility for Susan to go somewhere else and start again.
Lowe stated, “We need people to help us with this.”
Now, with social media posts also advertising the protest, citizens are gathering to, as one post on Ellijay PETS stated, “bring awareness and express a desire to see Susan held accountable for this animal house of horror.”
However, despite statements from citizens, the court case is only in its beginning stages and no conviction has been made yet. Build an Ark stated in 2017 that they have been investigated four times by the Department of Agriculture upon claims before, all of which resulted in no citations.
The protest is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. downtown.
Protesters rally in Ellijay over Black Lives Matter movement
News June 4, 2020
ELLIJAY, Ga. – Both protesters and police commented tonight with two words that many have not heard recently in news, a “peaceful protest” in Ellijay concluded despite rain and counter-protests in the area.
Authorities prepared after permits were approved yesterday, June 3, for a planned protest expecting 25 to 30 people in attendance. Even Eloisa Rafael, one of three students who were the organizers of the event along with Pedro Chavez and Nashely Hernandez, said that they were expecting around 25 people when they were planning and speaking with friends.
Instead, what the three students saw, were preliminary estimates closer to 200 people gathered in and around the roundabout in Downtown Ellijay with signs, speeches, and chants for support of the Black Lives Matter movements and for prominent names in both media and movements around the country.
All three of the organizers voiced their surprise and excitement at the larger turnout saying that they felt very encouraged by the level of community support in that way.
As protestors began the rally at 4:00 p.m., organizers called for peace and non-violence as they voiced opinions and chants, one man even stood to call for dialogue with police as he said that without dialogue, there can be no change. One of their first speakers, Pastor Robert Diaz, spoke a prayer over the gathering before offering words of encouragement for equality and rights saying, “We are going to make every effort, every day, to let our kids know, and our society know, that love shall prevail over hate, over discrimination, and whatever else.”
Diaz later said in an interview after the event that he was there to support the Black Lives Matter movement saying, “Obviously, all lives do matter, but in this instance, it is actually the black community that is actually more oppressed. We can see that all over, for decades… We are here as a nation, united, to raise our voice and to let the world know that this has to stop.”
Protesters continued under police supervision throughout their two-hour-long rally with speakers and representatives from the community including ministers and students who called for attention to social issues including the death of George Floyd and other media reports of police violence.
Protest organizer Nashely Hernandez said, “I helped organize this today because people need to stop being judge just because of the color of their skin.”
Others echoed the sentiment saying that the message of love and cooperation was central to what they wanted to convey. Local minister, Reverand Adam Bradley, of the Cherry Log Christian Church said, “Be Love” as he spoke to those gathered and offered his message of loving each other in the community.
After allowing certain community members to step forward to speak as well as prepared speakers, chants rang out through the downtown area as they continued their demonstration. Before long, a second group had formed on North Main Street counter-protesting the demonstration. Police stepped in to keep the groups separate, and while chants and rhetoric came from both sides, police and authorities maintained order in the separation of the groups throughout the rally’s length.
Police involvement stretched beyond one entity, however. The Ellijay Police Department lead permitting and planning for the event. However, authorities present at the event shared information that support and deputies came from all around the area as representatives of the Gilmer Sheriff’s Office and Fannin Sheriff’s Office along with other law enforcement officers from Whitfield and Cherokee Counties.
Protest organizer Pedro Chavez said, “We have had a good interaction with the police. We’ve had good communication. They understand what we’re here to do. They understand that we are here to protest peacefully… We appreciate their assistance, but we are here to protest against police brutality, against discrimination, against racism. But overall, we have had a good interaction with the police department.”
On the police side of the event, Ellijay Police Chief Edward Lacey said, “We couldn’t hope for a better event.”
He added that situations like today are always tense because of the unknown. But said, “The organizers were upfront with us and worked with us. That showed that they had a legitimate exercise of their first amendment rights.” As he addressed in an interview, one of the key points of the event was that the group pf protesters peacefully gathered and shared their message and peacefully left.
Those protesters pushed on despite counter-protests and even a bout of heavy rainfall, soaking many of those present as the stood in the center of the roundabout with only trees for cover. One protester repeatedly offered prayers throughout the event and continued his offerings through the same rainfall. He said he was protesting and stayed because “I think we all need to come together as a community, the police and the people, and put away the hate with love and prayer. Support Back the Blue and Black Lives Matter.”
Many others also offered support for both movements, including Karen Brown, who said, “There is no justice untill ALL God’s people are equal.”
Brown, a former teacher, referenced the “8 minutes 46 seconds,” a common reference to the death of George Floyd, as she too said that all lives do matter, but “right now the issue is black lives.”
As the rally concluded and protesters dispersed, many offered statements saying this is only the beginning and promises to each other that they would see them again soon. Eloisa Rafael also said she expects more, “I expect for this not to be the end of it. I expect for Ellijay to keep growing, keep changing, and understand that we are all equal.”
See more coverage on the event with FYN’s videos on our YouTube Channel, photos of the event on our Facebook Album, and coverage including interviews on our Livestream.
Ellijay prepares as protesters and police work towards rally tomorrow
News June 3, 2020
ELLIJAY, Ga. – Many rumors and concerns have begun spreading today as citizens have seen social media posts about a rally in Downtown Ellijay tomorrow.
As police and public safety prepare for the event, Captain Grace of the Ellijay Police Department spoke with FYN explaining that the protesters have applied for a permit for the event and that they are working alongside the participants to “provide a safe area” that they can exercise their constitutional right to rally.
Further, the Ellijay Police Department posted today on social media saying, “We are working with a group of local young men and women, many of them students and former students of Gilmer High, who desire to rally in the downtown area. Their stated purpose is to voice their concerns about perceived social injustices. As of this afternoon, they have applied for a permit to rally and it appears at this time that there is no reason to deny them permission to peacefully assemble.”
Police said in their post that they fully expect a peaceful rally. Capt. Grace also shared that he spoke with some of the students involved and that the police have plans to make an area available and to have an increase in police presence to protect citizens and to protect the protesters. Grace even said that should the event participants grow in number past what is expected, the police already have plans to relocate the event to a more open and conducive space so as to provide for those present.
As of now, the Ellijay Police Department and the Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office are both coordinating on the event, along with outside agencies, to “ensure that this is a peaceful rally.”
The Ellijay Police stated, “We have two objectives, to ensure that the right to peacefully voice grievances are heard and to ensure life safety and property preservation.”
A few shop owners downtown declined to comment about the rally but many others are voicing concerns on social media after the recent news from Atlanta and other major cities.
Police stated, “We want to provide assurances to all those we serve; the organizers of this event have asked us to help them ensure that no one hijacks their rally by using violence or any other form of disruption. It is our full intent to ensure that this happens.”
Capt. Grace also confirmed that the application request is for the roundabout itself. Currently, it is believe that those involved will be located in the central area by the fountain.
Additionally, the Ellijay Police Department made another post recently on similar issues about the current protests in larger cities. This earlier post was a longer one, in which Chief Edward Lacey, named at the bottom of the post, stated that he wanted to support the people and provide safety in these situations. The post stated, “We understand we serve groups which vary in background, ideology, race, religion, national origin and more. We are committed to holding ourselves to a high standard which ensures justice and equality for all. We also understand that there are many groups who, through a collective voice, stand up against oppression and injustice. We also stand for justice and equality and stand against any type of oppression.”
It continued on to explain how many demonstrations are started legitimately and for one purpose, but others would usurp that purpose through violence and fear for their own reasons and purposes. But they also spoke about the process of permitting and legally gathering to demonstrate upon City Property. It stated, “We represent and serve all citizens regardless of ideology. We ask that everyone know about this process and please allow us to work with you to help you maintain legitimacy for your message.”
The rally is set to begin at 4:00 p.m. tomorrow, June 4, 2020.