Two activists were slapped with cuffs in Atlanta after a demonstration against the city's upcoming Public Safety Training Center, commonly denounced by opponents as "Cop City." Protesters Parker Demos, 23, and Frederick Hetzel, 22, found themselves on the wrong side of the law early Wednesday morning when they decided to chain themselves to a crane at the construction site of Brasfield & Gorrie in Midtown.
As reported by Rough Draft Atlanta, the pair had locked themselves to the construction apparatus by way of a "Sleeping Dragon," a device typically fashioned from wire and PVC pipe, rendered the site inoperative. Responding officers arrived shortly after 4:30 a.m. to demobilize the situation and dismantle the protesters' lofty perch at 660 11th Street.
According to the FOX 5 Atlanta report, the "Drop Cop City" group said in a statement that they are "just getting started" and vowed to continue their actions "until Brasfield & Gorrie ends their contract to build Cop City." They assert that Mayor Andre Dickens and the City of Atlanta have forced their hand by not allowing a referendum on the training center.
The crux of the issue lies within the development of an 85-acre, $90 million facility intended to rejuvenate and expand police training capabilities. Supporters, including Mayor Dickens, argue the facility is critical for improving police recruitment and retention efforts, while addressing current inadequacies. On another front, activists maintain it represents an escalation in police militarization and projected environmental harm, especially concerning given its location in a poor, majority-Black area. With protests stretching over two tumultuous years, the site and parties affixed to it have become an emblem of broader civic unrest following the fatal shooting of protester Manuel Esteban Paez Terán in January.
This is not the first encounter of "Stop Cop City" protesters with the law or the construction equipment they have repeatedly ensnared themselves with. Along with the recent arrests of Demos and Hetzel, who are now facing multiple charges, past protests saw activists using similar tactics. Such disruptions have reportedly spiked the cost of the training center by an extra $20 million. The city expects to wrap up construction by December, hoping to close this contentious chapter of community clash.
