Dozens face terrorism charges in Atlanta police protest at 'Cop City' site

This image provided by the Atlanta Police Department shows construction equipment set on fire Sunday, March 5, 2023 by a group protesting the planned public safety training center, according to police. (Atlanta Police Department via AP)

More than 20 people from around the country faced domestic terrorism charges Monday after dozens of young men in black masks attacked the site of a police training center under construction in a wooded area outside Atlanta where one protester was killed in January.

The area has become the flashpoint of ongoing conflict between authorities and left-leaning protesters.

Flaming bottles and rocks were thrown at officers during a protest Sunday at “Cop City,” where 26-year-old environmental activist Manuel Esteban Paez Terán, or “Tortuguita,” was shot to death by officers during a raid at a protest camp in January. Police said Tortuguita attacked them, a version other activists have questioned.