Protesters from the far left rioted in the city of Atlanta on Saturday night and set a police vehicle on fire and destroyed business windows.
The protest was reported to have started as a “mostly peaceful” demonstration in reaction to the murder of activist Manuel Teran, who was killed in a police raid on Wednesday “in what the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said was an exchange of gunfire with police that wounded a state trooper,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC). The trooper is still unidentified and is reported to be in good health after being transferred to an inpatient surgical center for treatment.
Before the rioting began, protesters chanted “No justice, no peace, no killer police” and “Stop cop city,” which refers to the name of the Atlanta police training facility.
“They also chanted ‘stop police terror,' ‘free the activists,' and ‘drop the charges,' referring to how at least seven other people have been arrested and charged with domestic terrorism in connection with Wednesday's law enforcement operation in the southern DeKalb woods,” said the AJC.
One person tried to shout, “If they build it, we will burn it,” in reference to the city's plans to “build a training center for police and firefighters within several acres of forested land in DeKalb County.”
The demonstration eventually became violent with a police vehicle being set on fire and businesses being smashed. Police responded to numerous incidents of property damage on Peachtree Street. In addition, the Atlanta Police Foundation also had its doors' glass broken.
“Several arrests have been made at the present moment and the orders have been restored to the downtown area. It's an active and ongoing investigation, and we are unable to give specifics about arrest or damage to property at the moment,” the Atlanta Police Department said to reporters.
City Mayor Andre Dickens also said at an event for police “Thanks for the quick action of our public safety officials working together, order has been restored in a swift manner.”
“The Atlanta City Council Atlanta as well as Atlanta Police Department will not, Atlanta Police Department are not going to, will not accept this and will continue to defend your right to demonstrate peacefully. We will not accept destruction of property or violence,” he added.
