Three people were arrested and charged for financial crimes in relation to a fund created to bail out protesters arrested while demonstrating against a police training center being built in Atlanta, Georgia.
Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, the future site, has been the focal point of violent protests. Some have described the violence as domestic violence perpetrated by left-wing activists opposed to all police efforts. Others have raised environmental concerns over the 85-acre construction site.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced Wednesday that “individuals who are responsible for multiple criminal acts” at the training center were arrested.
Marlon Kautz, 39, Savannah D. Patterson (30), and Adele Maclean, 42, were arrested after officers conducted a warrant-search and claimed that they found evidence of financial crime.
Three of the three have been charged with money laundering, and fraud against charities.
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, the Georgia governor, praised law enforcement officials for Wednesday’s arrests.
Kemp added: “We are proud to announce that those who supported their illegal actions have also been arrested and will be brought before the justice system.” These criminals encouraged and facilitated domestic terrorism without regard for other people, while watching communities suffer the devastating consequences of their actions.
He also blamed “mostly outside-of-state activists” for the violence.
The organizers said that they would demonstrate against the arrests Thursday evening.
Protesters released a statement that read: “Today’s arrested are the latest escalation of the state’s attack on the right to demonstrate.” “Bailing out those who exercise constitutionally protected rights” is not a crime.
Some people have noted that Republicans and Democrats at the local and state level “who were white, black and brown” supported the police training centre.
The complex will be completed by 2024.
