Georgia governor declares state of emergency over ‘Cop City’ protests

Jan 27, 2023

Mahmoud Bennett Social Media Reporter

By Mahmoud Bennett (Social Media Reporter)

The governor of Georgia has declared a state of emergency following violent protests in Atlanta. Demonstrators have been gathering in the city for months, but tensions have flared up after a police officer shot and killed an environmental activist who had reportedly fired a gun at a state trooper.

At the center of the recent clash is an upcoming training complex that activists have dubbed “Cop City.” Officially known as the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, the massive state-of-the-art project envisions a mock village complete with a shooting range, training props and a burn building to train federal and state police. Officials say the $90 million development revolutionizes law enforcement training.

However, opponents call it a center for police to practice “urban warfare,” according to The Associated Press. The opposition is prompting activists from around the country to fly in and occupy the surrounding forests in protest. They argue that the entire concept of the complex will exacerbate police violence against minorities and harm the environment with the cutting down of trees and potential chemical runoff from testing different weapons. This has resulted in repeated clashes between police and so-called “forest defenders.”

The recent emergency declaration will allow Gov. Brian Kemp to call up to 1,000 National Guard troops until Feb. 9 to respond to incidents of civil unrest.

Tags: Atlanta, Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, Brian Kemp, Climate Activism, Cop City, Georgia, Protests

MAHMOUD BENNETT:

THE GOVERNOR OF GEORGIA HAS DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY

FOLLOWING VIOLENT PROTESTS IN ATLANTA

DEMONSTRATORS HAVE BEEN GATHERING IN THE CITY FOR MONTHS, BUT TENSIONS ARE FLARING UP AFTER A POLICE OFFICER SHOT AND KILLED AN ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST WHO HAD REPORTEDLY FIRED A GUN AT A STATE TROOPER

WHAT’S AT THE CENTER OF THE RECENT CLASH IS AN UPCOMING COMPLEX ACTIVISTS HAVE DUBBED *COP CITY*

OFFICIALLY KNOWN AS THE ATLANTA PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING CENTER – THIS MASSIVE STATE-OF-THE-ART PROJECT ENVISIONS A MOCK VILLAGE COMPLETE WITH A SHOOTING RANGE, TRAINING PROPS AND A BURN BUILDING TO TRAIN FEDERAL AND STATE POLICE

OFFICIALS SAY THE 90 MILLION DOLLAR DEVELOPMENT REVOLUTIONIZES LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING

BUT OPPONENTS CALL IT A CENTER FOR POLICE TO PRACTICE URBAN WARFARE

PROMPTING ACTIVISTS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY TO FLY IN AND OCCUPY THE SURROUNDING FORESTS IN PROTEST

THEY ARGUE THE ENTIRE CONCEPT OF THE COMPLEX WILL EXACERBATE POLICE VIOLENCE AGAINST MINORITIES AND HARM THE ENVIRONMENT WITH THE CUTTING DOWN OF TREES AND THE POTENTIAL CHEMICAL RUNOFF FROM TESTING OUT DIFFERENT WEAPONS

IT’S RESULTED IN REPEATED CLASHES BETWEEN POLICE AND SO CALLED FOREST DEFENDERS

THE RECENT EMERGENCY DECLARATION WILL ALLOW GOVERNOR KEMP TO CALL UP TO 1,000 NATIONAL GUARD STOOPS OVER THE NEXT 15 DAYS TO HELP QUELL ANY CIVIL UNREST

I’M MAHMOUD BENNETT WITH STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS – BRINGING YOU THE UNBIASED STRAIGHT FACTS