In late December, we reported on a group that has been occupying forest land for months on the future site for the Atlanta Police Department Training Facility. The group, which some have termed “Antifa-related,” have created something of an autonomous zone, living in the trees and causing all kinds of trouble, according to local authorities.
Six were arrested and charged with “domestic terrorism,” among other charges. They were “accused of throwing rocks and glass bottles, resisting arrest and possessing pipe bombs and trip wires.”
Other activists had been accused in multiple other incidents including an attack in May in which eight activists were accused of attacking police by throwing Molotov cocktails at them as they escorted construction workers onto the site. Activists were also accused of attacking and harassing residents of the area, including throwing a “gas bomb” at a man’s car. The man said he thought that they wanted to burn him alive.
Yet, the radicals were still occupying the site. The six arrested last month were let out on a low bond.
But on Wednesday, things turned deadly.
According to the Georgia Department of Public Safety’s Colonel Chris Wright, the authorities were conducting a “clearing operation” near the site. Wright said that the “protesters” fired a shot and hit one of their officers. Police fired back, killing the suspect. The officer is in stable condition. Neither person has been officially identified as of yet.
According to Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Michael Register, four people were detained. He called the response to the protests “complex” and said, “They’re endangering the community and the citizens around this area.”
The protesters’ organization released a statement, trying to blame the police.
In an email to FOX 5 Atlanta, the organization Stop Cop City ATL said, “it is not clear” if the Georgia State Patrol trooper was injured by “police fire, a protestor, or a police induced action.”
“Police have repeatedly raided the protest encampments in Weelaunee Forest, harassed and detained neighbors walking through the park, and attacked protestors with tear gas and rubber bullets,” the statement said, in part. “During past raids, police have consistently escalated violent tactics on protestors (sic) who were sitting in trees or standing in a public park. On multiple occasions, they have cut tree limbs and rope out from under tree sitters in a fashion likely to cause serious injury or death. Today’s raid began with numerous armed police shutting down a public road and pointing guns into the park.”
Um, guys? You’re camped on property that is not yours. You’ve allegedly attacked police and other citizens, including by allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails at police and bombing a local’s car. Now, you’ve allegedly fired on and shot a cop. It’s a little late to pretend you’re just peaceful tree-huggers who are being unfairly treated.
There was a post calling for more people to come out on Jan. 20 for a “night of rage” against the police, in response to the shooting.
Gov. Brian Kemp called the group of “forest defenders” part of a group of “militant activists who have committed similar acts of domestic terrorism across the country,” saying that he would bring the “full force down on those trying to bring about a radical agenda through violent means.”
An anarchist account attributed other actions in Florida and in Portland to efforts to “Stop Cop City.”
Warning: contains coarse language
Is the FBI looking into this–or are they too busy flagging speech to be suppressed on Twitter?
BREAKING: 'Treehouse Antifa' calls for 'Night of Rage' on Jan 20 after cop shoots militant dead outside Atlanta in gunfighthttps://t.co/KzL6qyWA9Y
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) January 19, 2023
Many far-left extremist accounts on Twitter are urging their comrades across the U.S. to connect with their affinity group (AG), a term to refer to the local cell, in order to carry out acts of violent retribution against police. https://t.co/oIIbCySoYz pic.twitter.com/i3LCvug9fZ
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) January 19, 2023