Three members of a left-wing activist organization protesting the building of a police complex in Atlanta, Georgia, were granted bond on Friday after their arrest for money laundering and charity fraud.
A spokesperson for Attorney General Chris Carr’s office told The Epoch Times that the state discussed evidence in a hearing on Friday alleging that the suspects conducted “unlawful activity by supporting violence and property damage” dating back to the riots that took place after the killing of George Floyd in 2020.
On Wednesday, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and the Atlanta Police Department (APD) arrested 39-year-old Marlon Kautz, 30-year-old Savannah Patterson, and 42-year-old Adele Maclean, all of whom are members of the Atlanta Solidarity Fund (ASF), an organization that advocates and raises money for arrestees.
The GBI said in its May press release that the charges stemmed from an investigation into “numerous criminal acts” that took place at the future site of the police complex.
The ASF has protested the building of the 85-acre, $90 million Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, also known as “Cop City”, which is a first responder training center under construction in Atlanta.
Though the ASF has been established as an advocacy organization for several years, it is affiliated with the Stop Cop City movement, also known as the Defend Atlanta Forest (DTF) campaign to stop the construction of the police complex.
DTF has argued that the complex will be a training ground for “violent” police officers. The organization has also argued that the complex is being built in a natural environment that should be protected, though city officials maintain that it’s in fact on an old, abandoned prison farm in the South River Forest of DeKalb County.
Multiple Acts of Vandalism
The spokesperson for Carr’s office said evidence showed that the suspects were running the DTF while, at the same time, financially supporting and engaging in multiple acts of vandalism.
In addition, the spokesperson alleged that members posted information about judges and police officers online with their personal information and have shown up at the houses of court officials.
In March 2023, the suspects organized a concert in the Dekalb County Forest during which 100 to 150 people carrying weapons, shields, and riot gear attacked police officers who were forced to retreat because they were outnumbered, the spokesperson said.
“The group set fire to equipment and attempted to set fire to footing that holds up power lines,” the spokesperson said. “After burning everything in sight, the group went back to the field, changed clothes, and attempted to blend into the peaceful concertgoers.”
‘Radicalize Liberals’
The suspects took over $237,000 out of a defense fund to support the occupation of the South River Forest of DeKalb County and the violent acts surrounding it, the spokesperson said.
“Unbeknownst to people donating to the bail fund, food fund, and other laudable funds, another fund was established known as the Forest Justice Defense Fund,” the spokesperson said.
“Some of the funds that were donated for legitimate purposes were routed to the Forest Justice Defense Fund. The Forest fund has been used to support those occupying the forest, doing violence against others’ property—and we can see that in the finances.”
The fund was also used as leverage to ensure that arrested protesters would either align with their views or have their bail money withdrawn, the spokesperson said, which the search warrants corroborate.
“Search warrant revealed extremist writings, justification of violence against people, government, property, and religious officials,” the spokesperson said.
In a diary, the spokesperson said law enforcement found written: “Radicalize liberals with subversive materials without using state solutions.”
ASF Statement
The ASF issued this statement on the arrest of the suspects: “Our court system and police are using trumped up charges as a scare tactic to silence activists who are exercising their rights under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The charges are laughable. The state is stretching beyond believability to find a crime where none exists. Our legal team is confident that these charges will never see the light of a courtroom.”
‘Out-of-State Activists’
Gov. Brian Kemp issued a statement on the arrest in which he said law enforcement has been working for months to secure the site “in the face of violence from mostly out-of-state activists.”
“They came to harass police officers and civilians, choosing destruction over legitimate protest,” Kemp said. “Thanks to our brave law enforcement, many of them have already been arrested. And today, we’re proud to share that those who backed their illegal actions are also under arrest and will face justice.”
23 People Charged With Domestic Terrorism
In March, the APD arrested 23 people after demonstrations at the site of the future complex turned violent.
Of those arrested and charged with domestic terrorism, the ABD said only two were from Georgia. At least two others weren’t U.S. citizens.
“On March 5, 2023, a group of violent agitators used the cover of a peaceful protest of the proposed Atlanta Public Safety Training Center to conduct a coordinated attack on construction equipment and police officers,” the APD stated. “They changed into black clothing and entered the construction area and began to throw large rocks, bricks, Molotov cocktails, and fireworks at police officers.”
After the incident, the DTF sent a statement to a local media outlet proclaiming that it was the police who were on the offense
“Cop City will never be a legitimate project,” the DTF said. “It continues to be widely opposed by Atlantians. The civil rights violations committed by police today reaffirms [sic] that this cop training facility should never be built. We stand steadfast in our conviction to build a new world in which all people are safe from police terror.”
Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
