Training center protesters gather outside DeKalb County jail in support of 4 women arrested

Mary Royse Ginther
·1 min read
5

Protesters gathered outside the DeKalb County Jail to show support for four women who were arrested near the future site of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.

Atlanta police said Wednesday, around 10:30 a.m., a group of protesters began demonstrating outside the future site of the public safety training site.

At some point during the demonstration, police said around two dozen protesters went onto the property and blocked the entrance.

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Authorities said officers asked the protesters to leave multiple times. All but four protesters left the property.

NewsChopper 2 flew over the training facility on Wednesday morning and saw the protesters being led away and taken into custody.

“The remaining four were given multiple opportunities to leave the property and avoid arrest,” officials said. “However, they chose not to leave and were taken into custody for trespassing.”

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The following women were arrested and charged with criminal trespass:

  • 67-year-old Priscilla Smith of Kennesaw, GA

  • 63-year-old Laura Kearns of Decatur, GA

  • 76-year-old Lorraine Fontana of Atlanta, GA

  • 73-year-old Shelley Nagrani of Roswell, GA

Fontana was arrested in June and charged with criminal trespass related to protests at the training facility.

Protesters outside the jail Wednesday night gathered in support of the four women to call for their release.

They are all still being held in the jail.

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