Republican Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr announced on Tuesday that Fulton County had indicted 61 individuals tied to the “Stop Cop City” movement on racketeering and domestic terrorism charges, according to a press release.
“Stop Cop City” is a Georgia-based movement that has allegedly vandalized public property and used violent demonstrations to protest police and government actions since George Floyd’s death in 2020, according to the indictment. The indictment lists 255 incidents, beginning in May 2020 and continuing through August 2023, accusing the indicted individuals from the group “Defend the Atlanta Forest” of participating in violent protests to protest the building of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, referred to by some as “Cop City,” in downtown Atlanta.(RELATED: 6 Arrested After Violent Protests Against Atlanta Police Department)
“Defend the Atlanta Forest is a self-identified coalition and enterprise of militant anarchists, eco-activists, and community organizers,” the indictment claimed. “Based in Atlanta, this anarchist, anti-police, and environmental activism organization coordinates, advertises, and conducts. . . “direct action” [that] has included vandalizing of private property, arson, destruction of government property, attacks on utility workers, attacks on law enforcement, attacks on private citizens, and gun violence.”
The attorney general accused protesters of, among other criminal acts, throwing Molotov cocktails at police officers and setting fire to construction equipment on multiple occasions, the press release reported.
The named protesters allegedly harassed officers and construction workers in other states, including Oregon and Minnesota, for supposedly having ties to the proposed construction project in Atlanta, according to the indictment. Some protesters also allegedly attempted to stop Dekalb County from selling portions of forest to developers by occupying the land and allegedly shooting at a police officer who was part of an effort to clear the encampment.
“If you come to our state and shoot a police officer, throw Molotov cocktails at law enforcement, set fire to police vehicles, damage construction equipment, vandalize private homes and businesses, and terrorize their occupants, you can and will be held accountable,” Carr wrote in the press release. “We will not waver when it comes to keeping people safe, enforcing the rule of law, and ensuring those who engage in criminal activity are vigorously pursued and aggressively prosecuted.”
BREAKING: For the first time, a network of violent #Antifa-linked suspects have been indicted on RICO charges plus terrorism, money laundering & arson. 61 “Stop Cop City” suspects, many already charged with domestic terrorism previously, have been indicted by the same Fulton… pic.twitter.com/5bRLvKtEbb
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) September 5, 2023
All defendants indicted by Carr have been charged with violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations act (RICO), a law which makes it illegal to try to overtake an “enterprise” through coercion or intimidation, among other crimes, according to the Associated Press.
Although the protesters allegedly committed violent acts against the police and government to stop Atlanta from constructing the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, only 13 of the 61 individuals named in the indictment are from Georgia, according to the press release. One protester is a French national, while another protester came from Canada.
The Cop City Vote Coalition on Tuesday condemned Carr’s indictment and called him a “power-hungry strongman,” according to a statement from the group.
“Chris Carr may try to use his prosecutors and power to build his gubernatorial campaign and silence free speech, but his threats will not silence our commitment to standing up for our future, our community, and our city,” the statement said.
Vote to Stop Cop City, Defend the Atlanta Forest and the Atlanta Attorney General’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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