(ATLANTA, Ga.) — The Atlanta City Council will vote Monday on whether to spend $31 million to build the controversial public safety training center. The vote will impact operations at City Hall, which will close offices on Monday and offer online services only. City leaders also issued a temporary ban on liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes from visitors. Water is available for free inside City Hall.
“Medications and infant nourishments are exempt from this prohibition. Persons shall be permitted to dispose of any liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes at the security checkpoint at the entrance to City Hall,” the city wrote in a statement.
The council approved legislation in 2021 authorizing a ground lease agreement with the Atlanta Police Foundation to build the training facility along Key Road. Since its approval, the project has been controversial leading to clashes between police and protesters at the future site.
Opposition to the facility grew louder after Manuel Teran, 26, was shot and killed during a Jan. 18 raid at the site. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said Teran opened fire on troopers as they tried to clear the site.
Within the past year, dozens of protesters have been arrested on domestic terrorism charges. On Wednesday, the GBI arrested three people connected to protests on money laundering and charity fraud charges.
Marlon Scott Kautz, age 39, of Atlanta, Savannah D Patterson, age 30, of Savannah, and Adele Maclean, age 42, of Atlanta, work for the Atlanta Solidarity Fund, a nonprofit and bail fund that offers support for protesters who are arrested, according to a release by Stop Cop City. A judge granted all three of them bond on Friday, saying he didn’t think the allegations were serious enough for the three to remain in jail before their trial begins.
“It’s not a lot of meat on the bones,” Judge James Altman told the court. “I don’t find it real impressive.”
Some of the bond conditions for the three included staying away from the training facility site and ceasing activity with the Forest Defense Fund.
Ahead of the vote, the City Council is holding a session open to the public. Over 350 people have already signed up, with the council indicating that they’d allot more time this evening for people who missed the cutoff time for signups.
A livestream of the City Hall meeting can be found here.
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