ATLANTA — Six people, including one who'd cemented their hands inside a car, were arrested following a protest in support of Palestine on Thursday, according to Cobb County Police Department.
It happened around 4:20 a.m. at the Plant Atkinson Road and Olympic Industrial Drive intersection. A release from local activist group Atlanta Against Genocide said protesters were demanding a local refrigeration tech company end its relationship with the Israeli military.
The car was placed across the only road leading to Hudson Technologies' facility, halting vehicle access to the company and neighboring businesses. Police said the car was obstructing the road.
"We understand the importance of the right to free speech and freedom of assembly, but actions that obstruct public roads or involve self-harm are not protected forms of protest," Cobb Police said.
The activists claimed the protest is in response to an alleged contract that Hudson Technologies signed to supply the Israeli military with industrial gas and other materials sharing a US Department of Defense contact. The group said much of the work is scheduled to be carried out at the Smyrna facility. The protest called on the refrigerant services company to cancel the contract.
"Hudson Technologies is enabling Israel's Genocide in Gaza," Atlanta Against Genocide said. "Over 35,000 people have been killed in the Genocide, and 20,000 Palestinian children are trapped beneath rubble, buried in unmarked graves or detained by the state of Israel. Companies like Hudson Technologies, who are profiting off of the death, starvation, and displacement of Palestinians, must be shut down."
The protest coincides with the presidential debate in Atlanta, which has sparked numerous nationwide demonstrations. Activists criticize President Biden and former President Trump for their support of Israel and the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
"The spectacle of a Presidential debate is sham when both candidates support genocide and ethnic cleansing," a release from Atlanta Against Genocide read. "But it's fitting that this debate is happening in Atlanta - a city where democracy is being eroded, and where residents are being denied an opportunity to vote on the fate of Cop City. Amidst this political landscape, direct action is our only option."
Recent protests have also targeted the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange (GILEE) program, which sends Georgia police officers to train with Israeli police. Activists believe this partnership will deepen if the Atlanta Public Training Center is built.
11Alive has reached out to Hudson for comment. Law enforcement has not said if any arrests were made.