'Block Cop City' activists, police clash near site of planned public safety training center

ATLANTA - Police used flash bangs and pepper spray on a group of protesters attempting to march to the planned site of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center on Monday.

More than 400 people marched about 2 miles from a park to the site in suburban DeKalb County, chanting "stop Cop City" and "Viva, viva Tortuguita," invoking the nickname of an  activist who was fatally shot by state troopers while camping in the woods in protest earlier this year. 

A wedge of marchers, including some in masks, goggles and chemical suits intended to protect against tear gas, pushed into a line of officers in riot gear on a road outside the training center site. Officers pushed back and deployed tear gas. One protester threw a canister back at officers.

Gregory Todd lives on Cherry Valley Drive, one of the streets the protesters marched through.

"At first, I spotted the helicopters," he said. "I knew it could’ve only been one thing."

Todd said he sees the need for police protection, but shares some of the activists’ concerns about the surrounding community.

"I can understand where they’re coming from," Todd said. "I’m a youth minister, I think safety is a priority, but I also think that we should try to maintain what’s going on in our own personal residences as well."

Police confront protesters at Atlanta Public Safety Training Center

On Monday, a spokesperson for the group Block Cop City Coalition said they planned to have their actions culminate with a mass march to occupy the construction site in DeKalb County.

As the protesters moved toward the site on Bouldercrest Road carrying umbrellas and signs, tactical units went on the move, throwing tear gas and pushing them back into a nearby neighborhood.

At this time, most protesters complied with police orders and continued to walk back toward Gresham Park.

Officials say no injuries have been reported and no one has been arrested as of noon. 

It was the latest effort to stop construction of a project that has galvanized environmentalists and anti-police protesters across the country. Protester Sam Beard, rallying the crowd Monday, said the movement has fused environmentalists and police abolitionists.

"We are never letting go of each other again," Beard said. "That is what has made this movement powerful. That is what has made this movement dangerous."

Some marchers retreated from the clash while others tried to wash away the effects of tear gas. Dozens of protesters ran into the woods near the property where the training center is being built and exited with their hands up. The marchers eventually retreated as a group without any arrests being made. Vomiting and irritation from the tear gas were the only apparent injuries.

Police agencies including the DeKalb County Police Department and Georgia state troopers were guarding the site, including with armored vehicles.

In a statement, DeKalb County police said the march was not permitted and that protesters refused commands to disperse and clear the roadway.

Atlanta Police respond to ‘Block Cop City’ protest

Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum held a press conference hours after officers from multiple agencies, led by the APD, confront protesters in what was marked as a "pointed" protest.

"As the crowd began to gather today, a few things became apparent. While some may have been assembled in the park for peaceful protest, to make sure their voices were heard, a number of things started occurring which was very concerning," said Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum. "We saw shields being deployed in the crowd, we saw makeshift weapons being brought forth, bolt cutters, we saw individuals putting on gas masks, we saw individuals donning plastic coverings across their bodies.

The chief said these, and other things observed, were indicative of things professional protesters and archaists do when they plan to physically confront the police.

The police chief said the city extended an invitation to organizers of the protests to discuss peaceful protesting in the city once it was known they planned to hold a confrontation at the site, but that was declined by the "Block Cop City" organizers.

The chief said the protesters surrounded a fire department, put a local school on lockdown, and frightened neighbors in the area. 

He showed off some of the items seized during the confrontation, including sharpened spades.

The protesters were not able to disrupt the current construction at the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center site.

"Today the site remained intact, construction continued, and we are on track," the chief said.

Chief Schierbaum also pledged protesters will not interfere with the APD's mission to protect its residents and visitors.

"I want those who are thinking they will continue to impact the safety of Atlantans and our visitors to know that we are committed. We have a strong coalition across many different jurisdictions, across political boundaries that understand our role is to protect the public through proper fire and police training and capabilities, and we are committed to that," the chief said. "Citizens should be reassured and those who would continue to do harm in our region are put on notice, that we will continue to stop you if you attempt to impact the safety of our citizens." 

No arrests were made along Consitution Road, but Molly Goldstein Block, 30, of Arizona, just before noon in the parking lot of a grocery store at 2532 Bouldcrest Road for giving false name and date of birth and obstruction of an officer.

Rally held at park as ‘Block Cop City’ movement continues

Ahead of the march, Kamau Franklin of Community Movement Builders told the crowd they had a duty to practice civil disobedience against the project. Prior to the march, Beard said the activists had been urged not to bring weapons, use incendiary devices or destroy construction equipment.

"You are standing up strong and fighting a struggle to stop a militarized complex which is meant to continue to over-police Black and brown communities in this country and is meant to stop movements against police violence and police militarism," Franklin said.

Some protesters in Monday's march had hoped to reoccupy the wooded area that includes the construction site and adjoining park. Activists spent months camping in the woods there until police pushed them out in January. That sweep included the fatal shooting of 26-year-old protester Manuel Esteban Paez Terán, known as Tortuguita. 

A prosecutor last month declined to pursue charges against the state troopers who shot Paez Terán, saying the activist shot a trooper and that law enforcement's use of deadly force was "objectively reasonable." 

Paez Terán's parents spoke before the march. Previously, they have said they do not believe the authorities' version of events and have called for an independent investigation. The family commissioned an autopsy that concluded Paez Terán's hands were in the air when the activist was shot. 

"I see, in each one of them, my son," Belkis Terán told The Associated Press of the crowd. "Manuel always said, ‘To fight the police, you have to be happy.' So, happiness is what we have brought."

Resistance to the project has at times sparked violence and vandalism. Prosecutors now characterize the protest movement as a conspiracy, saying it has led to underlying crimes including possessing fire accelerants and throwing Molotov cocktails at police officers.

Most of those indicted in August on the racketeering charges had already been charged with other crimes in connection with the movement. RICO charges carry a sentence of five to 20 years in prison that can be added on top of the penalty for underlying acts.

Among the defendants are more than three dozen people who previously faced domestic terrorism charges in connection to the protests. Also charged were three leaders of a bail fund previously accused of money laundering ; and three activists charged with felony intimidation. Authorities said they distributed flyers calling a state trooper a "murderer" for his involvement in Paez Terán's death. 

Why is the Atlanta Public Safety Training CEnter needed?

Protests against the proposed training center — dubbed "Cop City" by opponents — have been going on for more than two years. Over the weekend, activists held meetings, concerts, dinners, and direct action to rally support to block the project.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and other supporters say the 85-acre, $90 million facility would replace inadequate training facilities and would help address difficulties in hiring and retaining police officers. Opponents have expressed concern that it could lead to greater police militarization and that its construction in the South River Forest will worsen environmental damage in a poor, majority-Black area.

Protests against the project, which have at times resulted in violence and vandalism, escalated after the fatal shooting in January of 26-year-old protester Manuel Esteban Paez Terán, known as Tortuguita. A prosecutor last month said he would not pursue charges against the state troopers who shot Paez Terán, saying he found that their use of deadly force was "objectively reasonable."

In August, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr indicted 61 protesters using the state's anti-racketeering law, characterizing them as "militant anarchists."

Last week, 57 of the protesters appeared at the Fulton County Courthouse as activists gathered to show their support. A Fulton County judge said the final plea hearing will happen sometime in May or June 2024 due to the amount of data attorneys say they have to go through connected to the case.

Currently, construction work on the project is around 40% complete. A petition signed by more than 116,000 Atlanta residents attempting to put the training center up for a vote remains in limbo after officials say it was submitted past the deadline.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.