At least 23 opponents of the 85-acre Atlanta Public Safety Training Center in Georgia, coined “Cop City,” have been charged with domestic terrorism.

Protesters have been pushing to save a large swathe of the Weelaunee Forest near the Atlanta metropolitan area from becoming a $109 million law enforcement training for years.

But peaceful demonstrations aimed at protecting the forest have again turned into heated confrontations between activists and officers.

In January 2023, a young activist was killed in a hail of gunfire by a state trooper during a raid to clear the site for construction. An officer was also wounded. The circumstances surrounding the killing remain unclear.

Georgia expanded its definition of “domestic terrorism” in 2017 to include attempts to destroy or disable “critical infrastructure.” A conviction carries a punishment of up to 35 years in prison.

The state’s domestic terrorism laws, and subsequent indictments looming for some of the protesters, are under criticism for potentially hindering the right to free speech and peaceful assembly.

Rights groups argue that a loosely organized group of environmental protesters is being punished for the acts of a few individuals who have thrown molotov cocktails, rocks, or lit police or construction vehicles on fire during demonstrations. Georgia authorities maintain the hefty charges are justified.

As many as 60 protesters are also facing racketeering charges under the state’s RICO laws, which have extended criminal penalties for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization.

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