2023-11-13 18:38:01
ATLANTA (AP) — Police used tear gas and stun grenades Monday to stop a march seeking to stop construction of a training center for police and firefighters in Atlanta.
More than 500 people marched regarding 2 miles on Monday from a park to the site, which is just outside the Atlanta city limits in suburban DeKalb County.
A group of protesters, including some wearing masks, goggles and chemical suits to protect once morest tear gas, rushed a line of officers in riot gear on a street outside the training center. The officers responded with tear gas.
Protests once morest the proposed training center, dubbed “Police City” by its detractors, have raged for more than two years. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr obtained a sweeping indictment in August, using the state’s organized crime law to prosecute 61 protesters, characterizing them as “anarchist militiamen.”
The protesters later left, with no apparent arrests. The only apparent injuries were vomiting and irritation from the tear gas.
Several county and state law enforcement agencies monitored the scene, including with armored vehicles.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and other supporters say the 85-acre, $90 million center would replace inadequate training facilities and help the police department recruit and retain police officers. Opponents say the facility might lead to greater militarization of police and that its construction in South River Forest will worsen environmental damage in a poor, majority-Black area.
Resistance to the project has sometimes led to violence and vandalism. Prosecutors now characterize the protest movement as a conspiracy, saying it has led to underlying crimes including possession of flammable material and throwing Molotov cocktails at police officers.
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