'Occupy Atlanta' Protesters Apologize For 'Diss' to Civil Rights Icon Rep. Lewis

A video clip, which received nearly 160,000 views, of protesters discussing whether U.S. Rep. John Lewis should leave without speaking to a crowd of more than a hundred people on Saturday in Atlanta surfaced over the weekend and received just as much controversy as viewership.

In the clip, Occupy Atlanta protestors who began setting up camp in Atlanta's Woodruff Park, discuss the matter by repeating phrases, vote by waving their hands and ultimately decide that Lewis, a Civil Rights Era icon, should not speak after stumbling upon the four-day-old protest.

The leaderless group of protesters mimics the Occupy Wall Street protests going on in New York City, in an attempt to fight against corporate greed.

According to reports, on Monday the group apologized to the people in the crowd who were offended for, dissing, or not allowing Congressman Lewis to speak during its Friday meeting.

The group's press committee today released a long statement explaining why the congressman was asked to wait to address the crowd.

According to the committee, the protesters voted Monday morning to invite the civil rights icon back to address the group.

It is unclear of the date the group asked Rep. Lewis to return to speak to the crowded park. “They didn’t really deny me,” Lewis told a local paper.

Rep. Lewis told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that he was not dismayed, despite his key role in the nation’s struggle for civil rights, that he was not more eagerly received.

“These are different times,” he said.

Protestors decided that Lewis could return after their agenda items had been completed, however because of prior commitments Lewis didn’t have time to wait, according to the AJC.