5 Who Chained Themselves To Equipment At ATL Training Center Arrested

ATLANTA, GA — Five people who police say chained themselves to construction equipment Thursday at the future site of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center have been taken into custody.

Atlanta Police did not identify the five people, but police accused them of trespassing around 9:30 a.m. onto the site. Police are working with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation regarding charges.

Police said 25 people simultaneously gathered at the site to protest the training center, which has been at the forefront of a longtime battle between Atlanta officers and those who oppose the East Atlanta center.

Protesters have cited environmental concerns for why they are against the construction of the training center. The center is known to protesters as "Cop City."

"We are aware protestors are actively requesting others to come to the site to show their support. Additional resources have been moved to the site and our local, state and federal law enforcement partners are engaged and assisting us to ensure the First Amendment rights and the safety of protestors is protected, as well as to ensure the work site remains secure and work continues on the training center," police said in a news release.

The news comes two days after Attorney General Chris Carr announced 61 people were indicted relating to violence surrounding the training center.

Atlanta city officials have promised to protect the forest in the building of the center. The proposed site is near Key and Constitution roads.

The 61 people who were indicted are accused of being members of Defend the Atlanta Forest and are accused of organizing violent acts and destroying property in Fulton County and throughout Georgia and other states. Thirteen defendants are from Georgia.

Law enforcement have faced major opposition from "Stop Cop City" protesters who have spoken out against the building of the training center.

A downtown protest commenced days after the shooting of a Georgia State Patrol trooper and the killing of the person suspected of shooting the trooper in a Jan. 18 protest against the construction of the training center near Constitution Road.

Three people were charged in late May for money laundering in connection with financial crimes at the future training center site. The GBI told Patch at the time no additional information was available on the financial crimes.

A woman was arrested in late June and accused of throwing spoiled meat at Atlanta police officers during a protest at a West Peachtree Street bank. Fox 5 Atlanta reported the bank loaned money to the Atlanta Police Foundation.

Protesters were accused on July 5 of attacking Atlanta Police facilities and setting police vehicles on fire. The protesters were also accused of setting the police department's Memorial Drive facility on fire.

Police said the protesters have damaged construction equipment owned by training center contractors.

The Atlanta City Council voted on June 6 with an 11-4 vote to approve construction for the public safety training center, the Atlanta Journal Constitution previously reported. Taxpayers in the City of Atlanta will allocate $67 million toward the center, according to the outlet.

Information about the public safety facility is available here.