The suspects being charged with domestic terrorism after violent protests at Atlanta's proposed police training facility could spend five to 35 years behind bars, and that would be appropriate, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr said on Newsmax on Wednesday.
"We defend the right for individuals to peacefully protest and disagree with their government," Carr told Newsmax's "National Report." "They can disagree with this training center. But protesters use words, and rioters use violence.
"When you come to the state of Georgia and you start throwing rocks and bottles at police officers, you light police cars and construction vehicles on fire, and you shoot at police officers, those are criminal acts.
"We are not going to look the other way. We are going to hold you accountable, and that's exactly what we're doing in this particular case."
Atlanta police on Monday said only two of the 23 people charged were from Georgia, while two were from France and Canada and others came in from states like Arizona, Colorado, and Utah.
"I think it's very telling," Carr said. "Coming out of 2020, with the social justice unrest that we had, what were people saying? Some on the left were talking about defunding the police. Others were saying we need better-trained officers. This is what the community and Atlanta have done."
But instead, "anarchists" who "don't believe in the rule of law" are coming to Atlanta to protest, and the acts of violence won't stop with the training center, said Carr.
"Tomorrow it could be about an economic development project in your neighborhood or somebody that they disagree with, so it's got to stop here and it's got to stop now," he said.
Meanwhile, there is increased security to protect police officers and the grounds of the proposed facility, and Georgia has introduced legislation that makes it a crime to put personal information about law enforcement and their families online to cause harm or harass them, said Carr.
The center has been approved by Atlanta residents through a democratic process and the city council has voted to approve it, said Carr.
"We're going to move forward with it, and it's going to protect the most vulnerable in our society," Carr said, adding that the protests are "mind-boggling."
Carr also said he's shocked by comments from White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre that there have been no discussions about the protests.
"We've had good partnerships with federal law enforcement at the local level and here in the state," said Carr, adding that he encourages the Biden administration to support the police and the training efforts "so they can support us again."
"This is about protecting the most vulnerable in our society," Carr said. "This should not be a partisan issue again. We can all agree that peaceful protest is constitutionally protected."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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