GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. -- A video of police being called on two Morehouse students while they were canvassing for a political candidate is making the rounds on social media this weekend.
The video has been played more than 150,000 times on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
The students say all they were doing was trying to get a candidate for Congress elected when, next time they knew, police cars were surrounding them.
Eli Sabur was going door to door with another student on June 24, asking people to vote for David Kim, who is in a July 24 Democrat runoff against Carolyn Boureadux in the 7th congressional district. When they got to a Snellville neighborhood, they were surrounded by three police cars.
Around 7:15 p.m., someone called the police on them.
The official complaint stated a gray Mitsubishi occupied by a black male and another male were walking down the street. The vehicle, sitting on the road for 20 minutes.
In a post on Instagram, Sabur called the response "crazy" because they had on campaign shirts and had literature in their hands, indicating they weren't doing anything illegal.
Kim, who's Korean American, released a statement:
"I understand why every parent of a child of color must have 'the talk' and worry about all our team members out in the field.
I'm relieved that the police, in this case, were friendly and not intimidating and that this regrettable incident didn't escalate into something worse. Political door knocking is not solicitation. It is perfectly legal and an expression of democracy at its finest."
Sabur said this happens more often that he's comfortable with, but this was the first time he actually had his phone close by to record it.
Kim agreed with Sabur that this happens far too often.
“This is an incident that unfortunately happens all too frequently for our group of canvassers with these two men of color and it does happen a little more frequently, so we do want to bring attention to this a little bit.," Kim told 11Alive.
Both Kim and Sabur said the police were not intimidating and remained friendly the entire time. Police, however, are looking into the incident.
Kim or Bourdeaux will face incumbent U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall this November.
