Atlanta

More groups joining APD training facility protesters for rally at The King Center

ATLANTA — Protesters against an Atlanta Police Department training facility being built are continuing their protests for the third day in a row.

Dozens of protestors are gathering at The King Center in downtown Atlanta.

Channel 2′s Michael Seiden learned that a number of groups, including the Black Alliance for Peace, Black Voters Matter and the New Georgia Project, would be joining the Thursday evening protest and taking to the streets to call for an end to city’s plan to build a training facility in DeKalb County.

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Organizers say they are expecting a peaceful protest like they saw Tuesday and Wednesday.

While protestors gathered peacefully outside the DeKalb County Jail on Wednesday evening, chaos erupted inside the jail. DeKalb County Sheriff Melody Maddox says several detainees arrested after Sunday’s violent protest at the training site shattered windows and tossed burning objects from their cells.

“It was clear the protestors were focusing on persons in custody, and some of those persons in custody took advantage of the situation to respond by expelling burning objects from a broken cell window,” Sheriff Maddox said.

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Jennifer Hyman, a defense attorney for some of those accused, is fighting to get her clients out of jail.

“We don’t have any proof that our clients have done that, and the state hasn’t really come forward with any evidence whatsoever to point the blame at any specific individual whether its my client or anyone else’s client,” Hyman said.

Sheriff Maddox said her deputies are working to identify those who used a projector to broadcast messages on the walls of the jail, which violates a state ordinance. She says they plan on holding those people accountable.

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