Atlanta police responds to ‘Stop Cop City’ activists with force — again

Atlanta police deployed tear gas and flash-bang grenades against protesters opposing the construction of a law enforcement training facility, known as “Cop City,” adding to a pattern of violent crackdowns on activists over the site.

Hundreds of protesters marched toward the planned facility in the South River Forest on Monday, attempting to block construction, when they were met by police in riot gear. The Associated Press reported that protesters vomited and experienced irritation from the tear gas, and several dozen people who ran into the woods later came out with their hands raised.

“Stop Cop City” activists have been protesting the construction of the $90 million facility since the Atlanta City Council approved it in 2021. City officials said the site will serve as a training center — with a mock city for scenario training — and help increase flagging police recruitment. But environmental and anti-policing activists have raised strong objections to the facility, saying it will lead to increased police militarization and exacerbate environmental damage in the majority-Black area.

Local police have repeatedly responded to protests with force, escalating tensions. The violent clashes have resulted in one death so far: While clearing out a protest encampment in January, state troopers shot and killed a 26-year-old protester, Manuel “Tortuguita” Terán, who they claim fired at officers first. (Body-cam footage later showed that the trooper may have been shot by a fellow officer.)

The Dekalb County medical examiner determined that Tortuguita, who used they/them pronouns, was shot at least 57 times. An independent autopsy ordered by Tortuguita’s family found that their hands were raised when they were shot. A Georgia state prosecutor declined to file charges in October, saying the state troopers’ use of deadly force was “objectively reasonable.”

It’s unlikely that the clashes between protesters and the police will end any time soon, given the state’s ongoing aggression toward the “Stop Cop City” movement. Dozens of protesters are facing domestic terrorism and RICO charges, prosecutions that have raised alarms among free speech and civil rights advocates. Three people who distributed flyers about Tortuguita’s killing have also been arrested and charged with felony intimidation. Even an effort to allow Atlanta voters decide the matter at the ballot box, via a referendum, has faced challenges from city and state officials.