Bottoms' national profile has risen in recent months both as a mayor handling the coronavirus pandemic and amid the national reckoning on race that has followed a white Minneapolis police officer's killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, on May 25.
A first-term mayor, Bottoms issued a firm plea for peaceful protest as demonstrators gathered on downtown streets after Floyd's killing — and urged the protesters to get tested for Covid-19.
She invoked Atlanta's civil rights history and her personal experience as the mother of black sons. She won plaudits from progressives after firing Atlanta officers for using excessive force during the protests.
She has also been noted for earlier criticising Republican Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on his slowness to order Georgians to shelter in place and his quickness to lift that order.
Bottoms was an early and vocal supporter of Biden, who has been considering Bottoms as his possible vice-presidential running mate in his own presidential bid.
Violence in the city has grown worse since protesters burned down a fast food restaurant where a white officer fatally shot Rayshard Brooks after he seized a stun gun and ran.
Armed people have been manning roadblocks at the site and an 8-year-old girl was shot dead near the site at the weekend.
At the same time, some police officers have been refusing to answer calls, angry that the district attorney has charged officers in the Brooks shooting.
Atlanta police again broke up the roadblocks at the site Monday, but that wasn't enough for Kemp, who said he was mobilising up to 1000 National Guard troops after a spike in shootings in Atlanta.
- AP
