On Sunday night, a group of nearly 150 Antifa protesters dressed in black or camouflage and wearing ski masks broke into the construction site of Atlanta’s future Public Safety Training Facility, which had been dubbed Cop City by protesters who oppose its development.
The rioters set off fireworks, threw rocks, sticks, and Molotov cocktails at police officers stationed at the site, and burned down a surveillance tower and construction vehicles. The Atlanta Police Department later arrested 35 people and urged protesters to remain peaceful.
The confrontation between police and protesters occurred as individuals and activist organizations gathered for a “week of action” to protest the development of the police training centre.
Protesters claimed that the 381 acres of Weelaunee Forest is “stolen Muscogee land” and that the project would lead to the destruction of wildlife and forestry.
They have become increasingly violent since they first descended on the woods last spring, with 19 people arrested on domestic terrorism charges since December.
The week of action was set to include a Jewish Shabbat service, herbal workshops, and a “know your rights” workshop. However, the protesters’ violent behaviour and the Antifa riot prompted Marjorie Taylor Green to sponsor a bill to declare Antifa a terrorist organization.
The proposed Public Safety Training Facility will have extensive facilities and a mock city and fire station so emergency services can better train their staff.
It will also include an Emergency Vehicle Operations Course (EVOC) for fire and police driving training, academy housing for police and fire/rescue recruits, and indoor and outdoor shooting ranges. The development has been a controversial issue, with activists claiming that the training centre can be created without destroying the surroundings.
Jacqueline Echols, the board president of the South River Watershed Alliance, said that balanced and equitable consideration must be given to the protection of the local ecosystem, the cultural and historical significance of the property, and the health and well-being of the residents of the surrounding neighbourhoods.
The Atlanta Police Department announced the construction project in November 2021 and is expected to open at the end of 2023 after a two-year process.
»Mob riots is reported in Atlanta«
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