Police used tear gas and flash-bang grenades Monday to halt a march seeking to stop construction of a police and firefighter training center in Atlanta.
More than 500 people on Monday marched about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from a park to the site, which is just outside the Atlanta city limits in suburban DeKalb County.
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 then responded with tear gas, with one protester throwing a canister back at officers.
Protests against the proposed training center — dubbed “Cop City” by opponents — have been going on for more than two years. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr obtained a sweeping indictment in August, using the state’s anti-racketeering law to target 61 protesters, characterizing them as “militant anarchists.”
Some marchers on Monday retreated from the clash while others tried to cleanse themselves of the effects of the tear gas. Dozens of protesters ran into the woods on the property where the training center is being built, but then joined hands and exited the property. They and other marchers then retreated, with no apparent arrests. 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 armored vehicles.
Protesters called the event “Block Cop City” and had held events across the country seeking support for Monday’s demonstration. It was the latest effort to stop construction in a protest effort 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 and is a model of resistance against police militarization.
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