March 5, 2025 Story by: Editor
ATLANTA (AP) — A federal lawsuit claims that Atlanta police have unlawfully targeted critics of a police and firefighter training center for years. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of a protester, is centered on the case of Jamie Marsicano, one of dozens of activists involved in the “Stop Cop City” movement who are facing domestic terrorism and racketeering charges.
According to the lawsuit, authorities have treated all opponents of the training facility as potential criminals, making repeated arrests without justification. The legal action argues that these tactics have violated protesters’ First Amendment rights and protections against false arrest and malicious prosecution.
The dispute over the training center intensified in January 2023 when state troopers conducting a sweep of the South River Forest fatally shot an activist. Officials claimed the individual had fired at them first. Following the incident, multiple protests broke out, some of which involved masked demonstrators vandalizing police vehicles and construction equipment in an effort to delay the project and pressure contractors to withdraw.
Despite nearing completion, the facility remains at the heart of legal battles. Dozens of individuals, including Marsicano, have been charged under the state’s racketeering laws. Critics argue these charges are excessive and intended to suppress the movement, which emerged after the 2020 racial justice protests. Activists opposing the facility have expressed concerns about environmental harm, citing deforestation in a flood-prone, predominantly Black neighborhood. They also fear the center will serve as a hub for militarized police training aimed at suppressing social movements.
Marsicano, 31, was arrested in March 2023 near a music festival in DeKalb County, hours after more than 150 masked individuals moved through the South River Forest and stormed the construction site. Some set equipment on fire, while others threw objects at officers before retreating to the festival.
An arrest warrant stated that Marsicano, who uses they/them pronouns, was detained because they were wearing “muddy clothing” from crossing the woods and carrying a shield. However, their attorneys contend these claims are untrue.
Marsicano’s legal team insists that their client did not take part in the attack on the construction site and never left the festival grounds. They assert that Marsicano was arrested while heading back to their vehicle after police ordered attendees to disperse.
The lawsuit, filed on Feb. 24, describes Marsicano’s arrest as part of a broader pattern led by Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum, in which authorities allegedly carried out an “indiscriminate mass arrest of legitimate festival attendees” to suppress the “Stop Cop City” movement.
Following their arrest, Marsicano faced charges of domestic terrorism and was later among 61 individuals accused of violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).
Additionally, the lawsuit states that Marsicano was banned from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus after the arrest. They completed their law degree remotely but have struggled to find employment and secure housing due to the charges. Source: Yahoo News
