ATLANTA, GA — At least 60 people were indicted on Aug. 29 relating to violence at the site of the future Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, Attorney General Chris Carr said Tuesday.
Charges range from violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act to domestic terrorism to money laundering and first-degree attempted arson, according to the 109-page indictment.
The training center has been at the forefront of a battle between law enforcement and protesters who are against the building of the East Atlanta center for environmental concerns. Atlanta city officials have promised to protect the forest in the building of the center. The proposed site is near Key and Constitution roads.
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The 61 people who were indicted are accused of being members of Defend the Atlanta Forest and are accused of organizing violent acts and destroying property in Fulton County and throughout Georgia and other states. Thirteen defendants are from Georgia.
The group is accused in at least 225 incidents that include throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails through a Department of Public Safety window, injuring two employees and setting the building on fire.
Find out what’s happening in Atlantawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The defendants are accused of throwing Molotov cocktails and glass bottles at police officers, throwing fireworks at firefighters and emergency medical technicians, damaging an Atlanta Police vehicle and cutting the safety rope of an arborist who was working on trees at the site.
“On multiple occasions, members of the group torched and caused other damage to buildings and construction equipment, including excavators and bulldozers, owned by contractors associated with the project and then claimed responsibility for the destruction,” read Carr’s release.
“Members of the group used the Scenes Blog to call for a ‘Night of Rage’ to occur on Jan. 21, 2023, during which…
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