Six people have been charged with domestic terrorism following the violent anti-cop protests in downtown Atlanta on Saturday — with cops revealing that all but one are from out of state.
Demonstrators had gathered to protest a proposed public safety training center — dubbed “Cop City” — and the fatal police shooting of an environmental activist.
However, the demonstrations quickly grew violent, with angry rioters smashing windows and torching a police car.
Each of the suspects, who range in age from 20 to 37, faces four misdemeanor charges and four felony charges.
They have been identified as Nadja Geier, 24, of Nashville, Tenn.; Madeleine Feola, 22, of Spokane, Wash.; Ivan Ferguson, 22, of Nevada; Graham Evatt, 20, of Decatur, Ga.; Francis Carrol, 22, of Kennebunkport, Maine; and Emily Murphy, 37, of Grosse Isle, Mich.
The unruly group was charged with second-degree criminal damage, first-degree arson, interference with government property and domestic terrorism — all felonies.
The misdemeanor charges include rioting, pedestrian in a roadway, willful obstruction of a law enforcement officer and unlawful assembly.
In a statement posted to Twitter on Monday, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp confirmed the charges and that most people arrested came to Atlanta from out of state.
“Only one perpetrator arrested during Saturday’s riot is from Georgia. None of those arrested during last week’s operation are from Georgia,” he wrote. “Law enforcement demonstrated how quickly we shut down those trying to import violence from other states, and we’ll continue to do so.”
The protests followed the fatal police shooting of environmental activist Manuel Esteban Paez Teran. The 26-year-old advocate was shot and killed last week by Georgia State Patrol troopers who were trying to clear demonstrators from the site of the public safety training center.
Teran had been asked to move out of the woods Wednesday morning but shot at the troopers, wounding one patrol officer. Law enforcement returned fire and fatally shot Teran.
Following Teran’s death, angry and destructive protests have swept across the city. An enraged crowd took to the streets Saturday, smashing car windows and damaging several businesses.
While the protests began peacefully, amid the chaos some rogue participants smashed property and set a cop car aflame.
“They had explosives. They burned down a police car, they broke windows at businesses. And so our police department, along with our state and federal partners, took swift action within two blocks and brought that situation under control,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said Sunday on “Face the Nation” during a discussion with a panel of mayors.
“Most of them traveled into our city to wreak havoc. And so, we love to support people when they’re doing right, peaceful protest is part of the American — our freedoms, but when you are violent, we will make sure that you get held accountable.”
