ATLANTA — Activists against the future site of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center claim police raided a camp near the site outside the forest.
Community Movement Builders, a Black member-based group of residents in the community against police violence and gentrification, released a statement saying 22 people were detained and one person was arrested at the site of Lakewood Environmental Arts Foundation (LEAF).
11Alive reached out to Atlanta Police Department who stated that units were out serving a warrant, but could not go into further detail about how it was served and if any arrests were made.
A spokesperson with Community Movement Builders claimed "agencies entered the house with AR15's, aimed long guns at those who were detained and refused to provide an arrest warrant, saying it was offsite."
They also said the one person who they claim was arrested was taken into custody over "an old traffic ticket."
Protesters claimed the alleged arrest was made in a desperate attempt to "repress the movement to Stop Cop City."
The group said LEAF served as a place for people to receive fresh food for the last six years in addition for those to camp outside the site of the training center.
An event Saturday morning at Brownwood Park brought further scrutiny beyond just law enforcement.
"We want to make sure the narrative that criminalizes protesters ends now and that instead, we talk about the real criminals, which is the Atlanta Police Department, the mayor, the governor, and at this stage, the federal government because they have been involved in the suppression and repression of this movement," an activist said.
This all comes on the heels of a "week of action" for the group Defend the Atlanta Forest and those protesting in opposition to what they call "Cop City."