Protesters Throw Fireworks At APD Officers At 'Cop City' Site: Police

EAST ATLANTA, GA — Atlanta Police have identified the nearly two dozen people who were arrested Sunday after authorities said a group of protesters threw fireworks, large rocks, bricks and Molotov cocktails at officers at the site of the future Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.

The Atlanta Police Department said the protesters of vandalized construction equipment and set it on fire.

Police released two video clips of the protests.

Police initially said 35 people were arrested Sunday, but a list released early Monday afternoon showed 23 people were arrested on suspicion of domestic terrorism. Of those arrested, two were from Georgia while most of the others were from out of state and two of them were from out of the country.

At a news conference Sunday night, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said no officers were injured.

"We were very fortunate tonight," he said.

The FBI's Atlanta office is investigating whether or not federal statues were damaged during protests at the training center, the agency said Monday afternoon.

Schierbaum said a group of people left a nearby event around 5:30 p.m. and went to the site of the proposed training center, which is located at Constitution and Key roads in DeKalb County.

Schierbaum said explosive items were thrown at officers on the scene, and the officers kept their positions until backup arrived.

In a statement, police said restraint and non-lethal force was used in the arrests.

Schierbaum said some protesters suffered "minor discomforts" and were seen by medical personnel.

The Sandy Springs Police Department, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia State Patrol, the DeKalb County Police Department, the FBI and the Fulton County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene, Schierbaum said.

The training center has been at the forefront of a battle between law enforcement and protesters who are against the building of the center for environmental concerns. Atlanta city officials have promised to protect the forest in the building of the center, which has come to be known as "Cop City." The Atlanta Police Foundation will oversee the $90 million facility.

"Actions such as this will not be tolerated," Schierbaum said. "When you attack law-enforcement officers, when you damage equipment, you are breaking the law. This was a very violent attack that occurred this evening, very violent attack. This wasn't about a public safety training center. This was about anarchy, and this was about the attempt to destabilize."

Police requested planned protests in the coming days be held peacefully.

What the Video Footage Shows

The first clip released by the Atlanta Police Department showed officers entering a portion of the land through a gate. A partition on the opposite side of the dirt road can be seen separating the officers from protesters seen wearing black clothing.

As officers are attempting to lock the gate, a person is seen throwing a firework in the direction of the officers. The officers are seen trying to run away while still attempting to secure the gate. Shortly after, a large group of people can be seen gathering behind the partition before more items are thrown near the officers.

Nearly 10 minutes into the footage, Georgia State Patrol units are seen arriving at the scene.

The second clip shows Atlanta officers standing near construction equipment. A little more than a minute passes before a large group of protesters dressed in black clothing and black face coverings with shields can be seen heading in the direction of the officers from a nearby wooded area.

A firework can then be seen going off before the footage pans over to where the officers are seen trying to lock the gate. The camera pans back over to the protesters who are seen throwing several items in the direction of officers.

About four minutes into the footage, pieces of construction equipment can be seen lit on fire, including a large tractor. Once zoomed out, the footage shows burning grass and dirt on the same side as the officers. Construction equipment is later seen fully-involved in fire. The protesters have cleared from the area.

Additional Atlanta Police Department units can be seen arriving along with units from the DeKalb County Police Department.

What We Know

Authorities have responded to the training center site multiple times, arresting protesters in December on domestic terrorism charges and returning in January during a joint task force clearing operation. The operation turned deadly when a Georgia State trooper was shot and the person accused of firing the gun was shot and killed by law enforcement. Body cam footage of the shooting's aftermath was released on Feb. 9 by the Atlanta Police Department.

The family of the person accused in the shooting said the person was shot more than 12 times.

The GBI is investigating the shooting.

According to the Atlanta Police Foundation, the initial phase of the training center is expected to open in the fourth quarter this year.