Last Updated on January 22, 2023
Corporate media outlets — including CNN and ABC — have referred to violent riots that rocked Atlanta on Saturday as “mostly peaceful.” Antifa militants and other far-left extremists have flocked to the city in order to protest the building of a new police training ground, which has led to repeat instances of violent disturbances at the building site. The latest flare-up marked a significant escalation, however, as far-left extremists set far to cars and buildings in response to an officer-involved shooting.
Far-left protesters set up a camp around the proposed building site and have repeatedly attacked law enforcement and construction workers. In at least one instance, the militants threw Molotov cocktails at responding officers.
“The City of Atlanta has leased 381 acres of Weelaunee Forest, stolen Muscogee land, to the Atlanta Police Foundation for a police military facility funded by corporations,” the “Stop Cop City” organization states on its website. “Cop City will never be built. #StopCopCity #DefendWeelaunee.”
Georgia state troopers and Atlanta law enforcement have previously conducted raids on the so-called “autonomous zone” around the building site. Last month, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) announced that five far-left militants will face “domestic terrorism” charges, in addition to numerous other felonies.
All five of the arrested militants were from outside the state of Georgia.
On Saturday, tensions escalated after an armed leftist was shot and killed by police. According to reports, a far-left militant opened fire on a Georgia state trooper at the building site. Officers later located the suspect, who has been described by corporate media outlets as an “activist,” in the so-called autonomous zone.
GBI Director Mike Register said officers “returned fire in self-defense,” after someone “without warning shot a Georgia State Patrol Trooper.”
“The individual who fired upon law enforcement and shot the trooper was killed in an exchange of gunfire,” Register said.
After the shooting of the state trooper, law enforcement was able to locate the suspect inside a tent. “Officers gave verbal commands to the man who did not comply and shot a Georgia State Patrol Trooper. Other law enforcement officers returned fire, hitting the man. Law enforcement evacuated the Trooper to a safe area,” a GBI press release stated.
Joe Biden has allowed ANTIFA to lunch full-scale assaults on police officers in Atlanta. ANTIFA riots like tonight break my heart. Republicans must become serious or else we will not stop the Raging Left. The rule of law in America must prevail.
pic.twitter.com/H8dRtoZczQ— Charles R Downs (@TheCharlesDowns) January 22, 2023
Antifa insurrection in Atlanta tonight over a new police training facility pic.twitter.com/pfO8PRun1F
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January 22, 2023
In response to the shooting, extremists took to the streets and burned numerous buildings and police cars. In response, at least seven rioters have been arrested as of Sunday morning. They will face domestic terrorism charges, in addition to a number of other felonies.
While speaking at a press conference, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens stated that many of the agitators are from outside the city and state. He also stated that militants used “explosives” in their attacks. “Many of them don’t even live in Atlanta or in the state of Georgia, and they don’t represent the voices of Atlanta,” Dickens said.
“And some of them were found with explosives on them. You heard that correctly, explosives. And that has led to a police officer’s car being set on fire, and other destruction has occurred. So make no mistake about it, these individuals meant harm to people and to property.”
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens confirms Antifa used explosives during tonight's attacks:
"You heard that correctly, explosives." pic.twitter.com/l8ni83lMOI
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) January 22, 2023
Corporate media outlets have portrayed the disturbance as “mostly peaceful,” harkening back memories to their portrayal of nationwide, violent riots that spawned from the death of George Floyd. One CNN guest stated that it would be disingenuous to refer to the rioters as “violent,” stating that the only violence he saw was from police tackling protesters.
Fox 5 Atlanta echoed that sentiment, claiming that the majority of the protesters were peaceful. “Six people were arrested after a peaceful protest over a proposed police training ground turned violent in Atlanta,” reads a headline from ABC News.
Six people were arrested after a peaceful protest over a proposed police training ground turned violent in Atlanta, police said. https://t.co/7LDbaelFxK pic.twitter.com/gXpRjNq5im
— ABC News (@ABC) January 22, 2023
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