The Atlanta Police Department has charged 23 individuals with domestic terrorism following Sunday night’s violent protests against the controversial “cop city” training facility. According to police, “agitators” staged an “organized attack” on the proposed facility’s location.

Sunday night, Police Chief Darryl Schierbaum stated, “This is not a demonstration.” This constitutes criminal action. Additionally, he stated that protestors were armed with Molotov cocktails, pyrotechnics, and rocks. Yet, while Schierbaum referred to the gathering as “anarchy,” some activists claim that peaceful “legal observers” were also jailed. At least 35 persons were detained, according to the police. All but two of the 23 indicted individuals were from out of state.

The massive $90 million police training center in Atlanta was approved by the city council in 2021, becoming a significant source of conflict for many citizens following a series of postponed votes and substantial community opposition. Five demonstrators were detained and charged with domestic terrorism in December 2017. And in January, a protester was murdered by a police officer in Atlanta, despite police claims that he fired first.