61 ‘Cop City’ protesters slapped with RICO charges in Georgia

A group of anti-police activists has been labeled a criminal group in Georgia, where prosecutors hit 61 protesters with RICO charges on Tuesday.

The demonstrators have been rallying for more than two years against a proposed police and firefighter training center outside Atlanta that’s been dubbed “Cop City.” Environmental activists have joined anti-cop groups in seeking to prevent construction of the center in a forested area.

But Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr said their actions turned violent and criminal, leading to the charges under Georgia’s racketeering law.

“Our job is to enforce the laws of this state,” Carr said, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “As you can tell in this indictment, this is about violent acts, plain and simple.”

Protest groups immediately decried the indictments, saying authorities were attempting to intimidate demonstrators and prevent them from using their First Amendment rights.

“Chris Carr may try to use his prosecutors and power to build his gubernatorial campaign and silence free speech, but his threats will not silence our commitment to standing up for our future, our community and our city,” the Cop City Vote coalition said.

Many of the 61 people accused in the RICO indictment were already facing charges in connection with previous incidents around the “Cop City” site. More than three dozen activists have been charged with domestic terrorism.

Demonstrators united after the shooting of Manuel Esteban Paez Terán, a 26-year-old known as Tortuguita, at the site. Terán was shot more than 50 times; officers claimed he fired first but were not wearing body-cameras.

The Atlanta area is now home to three high-profile racketeering cases: Donald Trump’s alleged effort to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia, Young Thug’s alleged involvement in a criminal gang and the “Cop City” indictments released Tuesday.

With News Wire Services