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A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 7 March 2023
Dozens face domestic terrorism charges in Georgia incident

By JEFF MARTIN and JEFF Department of Public Safe-
AMY ty said Monday. Along with
Associated Press classrooms and administra-
ATLANTA (AP) — More than tive buildings, the training
20 people from around the center would include a
country faced domestic shooting range, a driving
terrorism charges Monday course to practice chases
after dozens of young men and a "burn building" for
in black masks attacked firefighters to work on put-
the site of a police training ting out fires. A "mock vil-
center under construction lage" featuring a fake
in a wooded area outside home, convenience store
Atlanta that has become and nightclub would also
the flashpoint of conflict be built for rehearsing raids.
between authorities and Opponents have said the
left-leaning protesters. site will be used to practice
Two of those arrested are "urban warfare." Oppo-
from Georgia but the oth- nents say that building the
ers hail from around the 85-acre (34-hectare) train-
country, police said. One This image provided by the Atlanta Police Department shows construction equipment set on fire ing center would involve
suspect is from France and Saturday, March 4, 2023 by a group protesting the planned public safety training center, accord- cutting down so many
another is from Canada, ing to police. trees that it would be envi-
according to police, who Associated Press ronmentally damaging.
did not release further de- Atlanta Mayor Andre Dick-
tails about the suspects. lanta Public Safety Train- Demonstrations spread to by police show a piece ens has said that the fa-
Flaming bottles and rocks ing Center that would downtown Atlanta on Jan. of heavy equipment in cilities will be built on a site
were thrown at officers boost police prepared- 21, when a police cruiser flames. It was among mul- that was cleared decades
during a protest Sunday at ness morale in the wake of was set ablaze, rocks were tiple pieces of construction ago for a former state pris-
"Cop City," where 26-year- violent protests that roiled thrown and fireworks were gear that were destroyed, on farm. He said the tract is
old environmental activ- the country after George launched at a skyscraper police said. Protesters filled with rubble and over-
ist Manuel Esteban Paez Floyd's death in 2020. that houses the Atlanta Po- threw rocks, bricks, Molotov grown with invasive spe-
Terán, or "Tortuguita," was Now, authorities and young lice Foundation. Windows cocktails, and fireworks at cies, not hardwood trees.
shot to death by officers at people are embroiled in a were shattered. police, officials said. The mayor also said that
a protest in January. Police clash that appears to have On Sunday, Atlanta Police Officers used nonlethal en- while the facility would be
said Tortuguita attacked little to do with other high- Chief Darin Schierbaum forcement methods to dis- built on 85 acres, about 300
them, a version other activ- profile conflicts. said at a midnight news perse the crowd and make others would be preserved
ists have questioned. Protesters against what conference, several pieces arrests, Schierbaum said, as a public greenspace.
From a Venezuelan family, detractors call "Cop City" of construction equipment causing "some minor dis- Many activists also oppose
Tortuguita was dedicated run the gamut from more were set on fire in what he comfort. spending millions on a po-
to preserving the environ- traditional environmental called "a coordinated at- Demonstrators tried to blind lice facility that would be
ment, friends and family environmentalists to young, tack" at the site for the At- officers by shining green surrounded by poor neigh-
said. Those ideals clashed self-styled anarchists seek- lanta Public Safety Training lasers into their eyes, and borhoods in a city with one
with Atlanta's hopes of ing clashes with what they Center in DeKalb County. used tires and debris to of the nation's highest de-
building a $90 million At- see as an unjust society. Surveillance video released block a road, the Georgia grees of inequality.q

Florida bill would force bloggers to register with state

son Brodeur of Lake Mary, Amendment groups who Senate and a spokesman
would require bloggers to argue it violates press free- for Gov. Ron DeSantis for
file periodic reports with doms. comment.
the state if they are paid for "The only thing that I can In a Twitter post, Brodeur
posts about the state's gov- see is that it's an attempt said the bill is aimed at
ernor, lieutenant governor, to limit and control free bringing transparency to
cabinet members or legis- speech," said Bobby Block, blogs that advocate or
lative officials. executive director of the lobby for specific causes.
Bloggers would have to First Amendment Founda- The text of his bill states
disclose who paid them tion. "It's an attempt to that it would apply to any
and how much, along with bring critics to heel and it's blogger who is paid to write
other information such as an attempt to make sure about elected officials in
where the post is located that people who want to Florida.
online. They would be fined talk about you think real "Do you want to know the

State Sen. Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford, stis at his desk in the Florida $25 per each day the report hard before they do so." truth about the so-called
Senate, May 24, 2022 at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. is late, up to a maximum of It is unclear how far the pro- "blogger" bill?" Brodeur's
Associated Press $2,500 for each report. The posal will go in the GOP- post reads. "It brings the cur-
legislation would not apply controlled statehouse dur- rent pay-to-play scheme to
By ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE officials to register with to content on "the website ing the upcoming legisla- light and gives voters clar-
Associated Press the state, raising concern of a newspaper or other tive session, which begins ity as to who is influencing
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — among First Amendment similar publication." Tuesday. The Associated their elected officials, JUST
A Republican lawmaker groups who are calling the The proposal, filed last Press reached out to Bro- LIKE how we treat lobbyists.
in Florida wants bloggers proposal unconstitutional. week, has already begun deur as well as Republican It's an electioneering issue,
who write about elected The bill, filed by Sen. Ja- to draw criticism from First leaders of the House and not a free speech issue."q