Dozens of individuals were arrested and charged in connection to the violent “Cop City,” protests at an Atlanta Police training facility construction site.
According to a report from Reuters, 35 individuals were arrested on March 5 following a demonstration at the larger South River Forest, also known as the Weelaunee Forest, that led to a clash between police and protesters. The occurrence reportedly took place following a music festival and a week-long series of events in protest of the construction of the planned Atlanta Public Safety Training Center — which has been dubbed “Cop City.” Police allege that “agitators,” changed into black clothing and breached the construction site and began attacking officers. The agitators allegedly hurled rocks, bricks, Molotov cocktails and fireworks at officers during the assault. During the unrest, a construction tractor was set on fire and at least four other fires were reportedly set.
Cop City pic.twitter.com/qaluT0p6wB
— Ｎｅｒｄｙ 🅰🅳🅳🅸🅲🆃 (@Nerdy_Addict) March 6, 2023
A special weapons and tactics (SWAT) team was deployed to the site of the protest to disperse the crowd. According to CNN, at least 23 are facing domestic terrorism charges. Of the 35 people arrested at the site, only two were reportedly from the state of Georgia while other protesters had allegedly traveled from states such as Arizona, Maine, and countries such as Canada and France. Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum announced in a news conference on March 5 that no officers were hurt and that “appropriate charges” were being coordinated with DeKalb County prosecutors and the Georgia Attorney General’s office.
The fiery protest was the climax of “mass mobilization,” efforts, which included the National Day of Action Against Police Terror demonstration on March 2, spearheaded by the organization Stop Cop City Solidarity. The group is one of many collectives that oppose the construction of the 85-acre, $90 million, law enforcement facility, that began construction in September 2021 after The Atlanta City Council voted to lease the land to the Atlanta Police Foundation. The Public Safety Training Center, and or “Cop City,” is meant to exist as a compound to train firefighters, 911 operators and police how to “serve and protect,” communities in the city of Atlanta. The compound is set to include a mock city, a “burn building” for firefighters, a firing range, a driving course, stables and pastureland for police horses, kennels for K-9 units and classrooms.
Last night, Atlanta police arrested 30 people charging many with domestic terrorism.
Those arrested included at least one legal observer during a festival and gathering organized as part of a week of action to stop Cop City, a $90 million dollar police militarization facility. pic.twitter.com/Ur9tew7F9S
— BreakThrough News (@BTnewsroom) March 6, 2023
Since the inception of the training center, there has been widespread opposition to its construction from members of the community, who allege authorities will learn inappropriate “military-style tactics,” there that could contribute to police brutality. The construction site, which lies within a 300-acre plot of forest in southwest unincorporated DeKalb County, which is largely made up of Black residents, has already been the subject of multiple protests.
In January 2022 police shot and killed 26-year-old environmental activist Manuel Esteban Paez Teran during a sweep of the protester’s forest encampment near the construction site. Paez is accused of shooting a Georgia Bureau of Investigation officer during the fatal shooting incident. Additionally, five people were arrested and charged with domestic terrorism in connection to a clash between activists and law enforcement at the construction site in December 2022.