Tear Gas Deployed, Multiple Detained At Protest At Emory University

ATLANTA, GA — A pro-Palestine and "Stop Cop City" protest held Thursday at Emory University resulted in the use of tear gas and the detainment of multiple people, according to Fox 5 Atlanta and Atlanta Police.

Mondoweiss, a group claiming responsibility for the protests, said it is comprised of university students throughout the Atlanta area "who are organizing against Cop City and the genocide of Palestinians."

The Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, which is set to benefit both Atlanta police officers and firefighters, has become known to those who oppose the training center as "Cop City."

"We demand total institutional divestment from Israeli apartheid and Cop City at all Atlanta colleges and universities," read an article published Thursday by Mondoweiss.

Atlanta Police told Patch the department assisted and supported Emory Police at the scene of the protest.

While doing so, police said officers "were met with violence" after accusing those at the protest of not complying with dispersal orders.

"At Emory’s request, law enforcement began assisting Emory PD in securing the campus. When this happened, law enforcement officers were met with violence. We are aware APD officers used chemical irritants during the incident. However, APD did not deploy rubber bullets. We urge everyone to stay safe and exercise peaceful means of free speech," police said in a news release.

Emory officials sent the following statement to Patch:

"Several dozen protesters trespassed into Emory University’s campus early Thursday morning and set up tents on the Quad. These individuals are not members of our community. They are activists attempting to disrupt our university as our students finish classes and prepare for finals. Emory does not tolerate vandalism or other criminal activity on campus. The Emory Police Department ordered the group to leave and contacted Atlanta Police and Georgia State Patrol for assistance."

The pro-Palestinian protest at Emory joined several others nationwide, where dozens of people have reportedly been arrested.

The training center has been at the forefront of a battle between law enforcement and protesters who are against the building of the East Atlanta center for environmental concerns. 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 property, which will benefit Atlanta Police and the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department, will sit on land that spans 385 acres and is owned by the City of Atlanta near Intrenchment Creek, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said in the past.

According to the Atlanta Police Foundation, part of the purpose for the center is to promote morale and retention, as well as embrace police reform and cultural sensitivity.

Protesters have been clashing with police over the training center's construction and vying to secure the forest on the land. The protests turned deadly the day of the Jan. 16, 2023 clearing operation during which Manuel Paez Teran, who used they/their pronouns and was known as Tortuguita, was killed in a police shooting.

Six Georgia State Patrol troopers accused in the fatal shooting will not be charged, according to the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office.

The Atlanta City Council voted on June 6, 2023 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.