ATLANTA — A peaceful protest in downtown Atlanta turned violent Saturday evening when protesters set a police car on fire and started smashing windows.
The protesters are opposed to the construction of an APD training center in a forest in DeKalb County.
Hundreds of protesters gathered at Underground Atlanta before moving down Peachtree St. in the heart of downtown Atlanta.
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Shortly after, some of the protesters dressed in all black began marching down the streets of downtown.
Protesters then turned violent, setting an Atlanta police cruiser on fire and smashing windows of local businesses, including a Wells Fargo bank.
Earlier this week, Georgia State Patrol and other agencies were at the site of the proposed facility clearing protesters who had been camped out in the forest for months.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says one of the protesters, Manuel Teran, shot a state trooper and was then killed by return fire.
Friends of Teran, who went by the nickname “Tortuguita,” have repeatedly claimed since the shooting that they are peaceful protesters.
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The governor’s office released a statement saying they will not tolerate any unlawful crimes in the name of peaceful protest.
The governor remains well informed of the situation through regular updates from state law enforcement and is actively monitoring the situation. State patrol is well equipped to respond to any and all threats to public safety and is coordinating closely with other state agencies and local PD.
While the state continues to respect peaceful protest, acts of violence against person or property will NOT be tolerated. Those committing such unlawful acts will be arrested and prosecuted fully.
A short time later, Governor Brian Kemp himself tweeted a statement.
Violence and unlawful destruction of property are not acts of protest. They are crimes that will not be tolerated in Georgia and will be prosecuted fully.
Thank you to the hardworking @ga_dps, @GBI_GA, @Atlanta_Police, and others actively keeping our streets safe tonight.
— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) January 22, 2023
Atlanta police released the following statement to Channel 2 Action News:
“The Atlanta Police Department is aware of the ongoing events, and we will continue to monitor them and address accordingly. We stand ready to respond to demonstrations to ensure the safety of those in our communities and those exercising their first amendment right, or to address illegal activity, should the need arise.”
At 6:45 p.m., Atlanta police released an update saying:
“Atlanta Police have responded to a group damaging property at several locations along Peachtree St. Several arrests have been made at this time and order has been restored to the downtown space. This is still an active and ongoing investigation and we will not be able to provide specifics on arrests numbers or damaged property, at this time.”
Channel 2 Action News is working to get additional information.
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