Training center protesters march on Fulton courthouse

With all eyes trained on the Fulton County Courthouse, a group of protesters carrying signs and chanting arrived on Monday afternoon. Their refrain had nothing to do with the possible fourth indictment of former President Donald Trump.

“Stop Cop City!” the group of about 20 chanted as they pushed through a sea of reporters and law enforcement officers, before being asked to relocate to a different city block. The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office said the corner of MLK Jr. Drive and Central Avenue has been designated for First Amendment protected activities.

No demonstrations in support of or against Trump have been staged outside the courthouse Monday, as prosecutors presented their election interference case against the former president and others inside.

A group of protestors advocating against the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center marched toward the courthouse before being directed across the street by police. Keyanna Jones, a protestor, said that the interaction was “not peaceful” and that officers were “aggressive.” pic.twitter.com/8dIiCEBUVL
— Alice Tecotzky (@ATecotzky) August 14, 2023

The protesters, carrying signs about the environmental impact of the proposed Atlanta public training center and decrying police violence, were directed by Fulton County deputies across the street as they approached the courthouse steps. Keyanna Jones, a member of the group Community Builds, described the interaction with police as “not peaceful.”

Kamau Franklin, organizer with opponents of the training center, said police officers were continually changing directions given to protesters. He said they were directed to a separate location blocks away because there was “too much commotion” around the courthouse.

Local protesters in front of Fulton County courthouse taking advantage of the media scrum. “Cop City will never be built!” #gapol pic.twitter.com/1pCt4GtmA3
— Patricia Murphy (@MurphyAJC) August 14, 2023

“For the police to stop us from (walking on public sidewalk) and tell us they have a pin four blocks away or around the corner from our designated site of protest tells us that they don’t know the law, they don’t care about the law, they don’t understand the Constitution,” he said.