After demonstrators set fire to an Atlanta public safety training facility, anti-police activists and environmental activists called “Cop City”, at least 35 people were taken into custody
According to the Atlanta Police Department, a group of “agitators”, left the South River Music Festival at 5:30 p.m. and entered the construction site for the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center to “conduct a coordinated attack against construction equipment and officers.”
Police officers were able to see that the group was dressed in black and began throwing bricks, Molotov cocktails, and commercial-grade fireworks at them.
Although protests have continued at the 85-acre DeKalb County property for a $ 90 million police and fire training facility, Atlanta Chief Police Darin Schierbaum stated that Sunday’s incident represented a “significant escalation” in violence and the number of those involved.
“This was not about a public safety training center, this was an attempt to destabilize,” Schierbaum said, “We were working quickly to address this issue.” “We will not tolerate actions like this.” You attack law enforcement officers and damage equipment. This is a violation of the law. This was a violent attack that took place this evening.
He said that the FBI and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation had joined the investigation.
“Some of the people arrested yesterday were from New York, Massachusetts, France, and Canada. This is a network, an international group that is organized to come here to undermine a public safety center,” Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr stated Monday morning on Fox News.
According to Atlanta police, at least 35 people were detained by the force as of Sunday night. Although no charges have been made as of Monday morning, Schierbaum stated that Sunday night, law enforcement was consulting with both DeKalb County Prosecutors and the Georgia Attorney General’s Office.
Schierbaum stated Sunday night that he could see evidence of criminal activity by looking at the initial reports. “I can tell ya, I can see a few people, not from Atlanta, Georgia that is still present tonight to destabilize the construction of a police training and fire center.”
The chief said, “This isn’t a protest.” “I made a clear distinction about what a protest looks like.” “If it’s a legitimate protest, the Atlanta Police Department will provide full protection.” “This is not a demonstration, it is criminal activity.” “This will be proven by the charges that will follow.”
Since December, at least 19 people were arrested and charged for domestic terrorist acts in connection with demonstrations at “Cop City”. Six of the 19 arrests were made in riots that broke out in Atlanta on Jan. 21, which was sparked after Manuel Esteban Paez Teran, a 26-year-old environmental activist, was shot to death by Georgia State Patrol.
The state patrol responded to the construction site in order to clear out protestors. Authorities claimed Teran, who was reportedly identified as Tortuguita, shot a trooper in his abdomen. Law enforcement officers then returned fire and killed Teran.
