ATLANTA — The Atlanta City Council meeting was disrupted on Monday after protesters began throwing ping-pong balls inside the chamber and chanting, "You dropped the ball," in opposition to Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens.
Protesters against the building of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center gathered inside Atlanta City Hall on the anniversary of submitting 116,000 petition signatures, which called for a referendum on the new training facility designed for law enforcement and firefighters, according to a press release by the "Stop Cop City" group.
The disruption began after several protesters walked up to the front with a sign that read: "Andre Dickens: You dropped the ball on democracy," along with a ping-pong ball with the number 116,000 on it, in reference to the number of signatures on the petition.
Shortly after, some people in the crowd began throwing ping-pong balls toward the front of the city council chamber. The moment was captured on the livestream for the Atlanta City Council meeting.
The protesters have on shirts that read, “The people will decide: Stop Cop City,” referring to the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.
In the news release, the group said that it is "not too late for the City Council to initiate putting the referendum on the ballot in November of this year."
The Atlanta Public Safety Training Center has been at the center of debate for several years, with numerous protests and several protesters that have been arrested and charged after property was damaged and vandalized at different sites around the city.