Headline Roundup • September 6th, 2023
61 Indicted in Georgia on RICO Charges Over 'Cop City' Unrest
Criminal Justice,Georgia,Violence In America,Defund The Police,Police Reform,Polarization,Racketeering,Atlanta,Culture War
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Sixty-one people have been indicted on racketeering charges in Atlanta under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) over protests and unrest around "Cop City."
Key Details: The indictment was released on Tuesday, and accused the defendants of acting as "militant anarchists." Activists say that the $90 million site of the proposed Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, which they call "Cop City," will further militarize the police and harm the environment.
For Context: In March, 35 people were arrested after attacking the site. In January, an activist was shot and killed near the site by a Georgia state trooper; police said the activist shot at them first.
Key Quote: “The 61 defendants together have conspired to prevent the construction of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center by conducting, coordinating and organizing acts of violence, intimidation and property destruction,” Georgia Republican Attorney General Chris Carr said during a news conference.
How the Media Covered it: Sources across the spectrum noted that the same RICO law was used a few weeks ago to charge former President Donald Trump and 18 others for their attempts to overturn 2020 election results in Georgia.
Featured Coverage of this Story
Associated Press
Sixty-one people have been indicted in Georgia on racketeering charges following a long-running state investigation into protests against a planned police and firefighter training facility in the Atlanta area that critics call “Cop City.”
In the sweeping indictment released Tuesday, Republican Attorney General Chris Carr alleged the defendants are “militant anarchists” who supported a violent movement that prosecutors trace to the widespread 2020 racial justice protests.
The Aug. 29 indictment is the latest application of the state’s anti-racketeering law, also known as a RICO law, and comes just weeks after the Fulton...
Miguel Martinez/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP
Dozens of suspects in violent protests against an Atlanta-area police training facility critics call “Cop City” have been indicted on racketeering charges.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr released the indictment Tuesday, accusing the 61 defendants of acting as “militant anarchists” in the “Stop Cop City” movement.
Mr. Carr alleged the suspects conspired to prevent the facility’s construction “by conducting, coordinating and organizing acts of violence, intimidation and property destruction.”
Activists say the center will further militarize the police. Tensions flared in January when a state trooper fatally shot a protester....
More than 60 activists have been indicted on RICO charges over ongoing efforts to stop the construction of a public safety training center near Atlanta, according to a newly unsealed indictment.
In total, 61 people have been charged with violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. Five of those named in the indictment are also facing domestic terrorism charges for allegedly attempting to commit arson.
The 85-acre training center, which opponents have dubbed “Cop City,” has drawn the ire of environmental activists, who fear damage to the local forest, and anti-police demonstrators...
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