Police, protesters clash at site of Atlanta police center; 35 arrested

(Reuters) - Fires broke out at the construction site of an Atlanta police training center on Sunday after a demonstration at the property led to clashes between police and protesters and 35 people were arrested, police said.

The site of the planned Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, derisively called "Cop City" by opponents, has been the scene of escalating confrontation as demonstrators oppose both the increasing militarization of police and the development of the forest that its defenders call the "lungs of Atlanta."

The police and fire training center is being built on 85 acres (34.4 hectares) of a 400-acre property in unincorporated DeKalb County that is owned by the city, according to the facility's website.
It is within the larger South River Forest, also known as the Weelaunee Forest.

Sunday's events began with a music festival that was part of a week of demonstrations against the construction. But police said events turned violent when "agitators" changed into black clothing, breached the site, and launched bricks, rocks, Molotov cocktails and fireworks at officers.

"The illegal actions of the agitators could have resulted in bodily harm. Officers exercised restraint and used non-lethal enforcement to conduct arrests," police said.

Heavy smoke could be seen for miles, WSB television reported. Images on social media showed flames and smoke coming from multiple spots on the property. One image showed heavy equipment in flames.