Saturday night brought rioting by Antifa people attacking police targets in Atlanta.
Now, the night started with a protest against the police, in the memory of one of their comrades, Manuel Teran. Teran had been shot and killed by the police after he allegedly shot a cop, when police came to clear protesters out of an area they had been occupying where the city is constructing a police training center. The radicals have had several people, in multiple incidents, arrested for domestic terrorism at the site, including for throwing Molotov cocktails at the police.
Notice how everyone is dressed in black and masked up — this isn’t a protest that accidentally devolved into a riot. It’s like most Antifa actions; it’s a ‘protest’ in anticipation of the riot, as people break away and then attack things.
🚨#BREAKING: Violent protests have been reported in Atlanta
Violent protests have erupted tonight in Atlanta after police killed a man on the 18th. There are reports of police cruisers on fire and rocks being thrown as activists call for a “Night of Rage”. pic.twitter.com/qKTc20g79n
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) January 22, 2023
It soon went violent, with Antifa attacking the Atlanta Police Foundation building, as well as police vehicles and other businesses. They set at least one police car on fire.
But what was incredible was that even as the local news was covering it, we had something of a throwback to the “mostly peaceful protest” comments of CNN and MSNBC in 2020. Listen as the local reporter talks about the “largely peaceful protest,” even with the violence and the flames in the background.
Local Atlanta reporter calls the protest in Atlanta "largely peaceful protest" as a police cruiser is on fire in the background.
You can't make this stuff up. pic.twitter.com/tYJpJulxdH
— 3sidedstory 🇺🇲 (@3sidedstory) January 22, 2023
Yeah, not so much. Their declared purpose had been retaliation and violence. They made that clear with their announcements. Yet, the reporter doesn’t note that. Not only does he butcher the name of the radical who was killed, whose nickname was “Tortuguita,” but the reporter leaves out the rather important fact that “Tortuguita” (who went by they/it pronouns) allegedly shot a cop and critically injured a police officer before he was shot in self-defense.
But it looks like Antifa in their “mostly peaceful” endeavors may have interfered in that report of them attacking the Atlanta Police Foundation building, as the report suddenly cuts off as you see explosive fireworks going off around them.
A news crew captured footage of #Antifa militants smashing up businesses in downtown Atlanta on Saturday at their violent organized "retaliation" against police for shooting dead their gunman comrade. The gunman at the autonomous zone shot a state trooper. pic.twitter.com/ow0drWxolg
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) January 22, 2023
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens wasn’t going along with any of these “mostly peaceful” characterizations. He pointed out that most of these folks were outside agitators who didn’t even live in Atlanta or hail from the state of Georgia. As we’ve said, they’re from all over the country. “They don’t represent the voices of Atlanta,” Mayor Andre Dickens said. He said some of them were found with explosives.
MAYOR ANDRE DICKENS: “You heard that correctly, explosives” @CityofAtlanta Mayor Andre Dickens says some of the protesters had explosives on them. Listen to this clip from tonight’s press conference. pic.twitter.com/nyXAld0rYS
— Billy Heath III (@BillyHeathFOX5) January 22, 2023
“Yes, you heard that correctly, explosives,” Dickens said. That led to a police officer’s car being set on fire, Dickens explained. “Make no mistake about it, these individuals meant harm to people and to property.”
I think he just put paid to the “mostly peaceful” lie. Good for Dickens for making straight-up remarks, and not going easy on these characters.
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