
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. Officials said the shooting was in self-defense.
The charges under the state’s anti-racketeering law, known as RICO, come just weeks after the same law was used to charge former President Donald Trump and 18 others for their efforts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results.