Atlanta police charge protesters with domestic terrorism

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Dave Wilkinson, president and CEO of the Atlanta Police Foundation, center, examines damaged property at the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center in DeKalb County, Ga., Monday. Associated Press/Photo by John Spink via Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Atlanta police charge protesters with domestic terrorism

A group of demonstrators trespassed on the site of the planned Atlanta Public Safety Training Center on Sunday and threw rocks, fireworks, and Molotov cocktails at responding police officers. Officers arrested 35 protesters and later charged 23 with felony domestic terrorism. The demonstrators targeted and destroyed several large pieces of construction equipment. According to police, 19 of those charged are from other states, and two are from other countries. Domestic terrorism carries a maximum 35-year prison sentence in Georgia.

How did the protests start? The protesters reportedly first attended a music festival near the construction site. The training center will be built on 85 acres of forest, and protests have been ongoing for several months.

Dig deeper: Read Addie Offereins’ report in Compassion about how police need boosts to staff, not just to budgets.

Lauren Canterberry

Lauren Canterberry is a reporter for WORLD. She graduated from the World Journalism Institute and the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, both in 2017. She worked as a local reporter in Texas and now lives in Georgia with her husband.