(GoRealNewsNow.com) – BREAKING NEWS NOW: Sixty-one individuals have been indicted in Georgia based on racketeering charges, a result of an extended state investigation into protests against a planned police and firefighter training facility in the Atlanta region, known by some as “Cop City.”
The indictment claims that these individuals are “militant anarchists,” believed by prosecutors to have roots in the 2020 racial justice protests. This indictment, revealed on Tuesday by Fulton County officials, was established under Georgia’s racketeering law and initiated by Republican Attorney General Chris Carr.
The accused are associated with the “Defend the Atlanta Forest” group, labeled as an extremist entity by Carr. He mentioned that most of the indicted are not Georgia residents.
The campaign against the facility, termed “Stop Cop City,” has been active for over two years and has occasionally descended into vandalism and aggression. Detractors are concerned that the facility in the Atlanta region will intensify police militarization and that its development might worsen the environment in a predominantly Black, lower-income area.
Many of the indicted individuals were already under scrutiny for their alleged ties to this cause. Numerous individuals are up against domestic terrorism charges due to violent protest actions. Three individuals overseeing a bail fund are facing money laundering allegations. Additionally, three individuals have been indicted for felony intimidation for distributing flyers that labeled a state trooper as a “murderer,” referencing his participation in the fatal shooting of a protester in a forested area.
The allegations against the accused are vast, ranging from possessing materials to create fire and hurling Molotov cocktails at police to receiving reimbursements for supplies for those camping near the development site.
The Cop City Vote coalition, spearheading a current referendum against the project, criticized the charges as “anti-democratic.” They stated: “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.”
