Lawyer's Arrest at Atlanta Protest Sparks Criticism of SPLC

Just about two dozen folks had been arrested in Atlanta, Georgia, on Sunday whilst protesting close to the police division’s Public Protection Coaching Heart, together with a member of the Southern Poverty Legislation Heart (SPLC), prompting grievance of the group and allegations that the worker used to be a member of antifa.

On Monday, the Atlanta Police Division introduced 23 other folks had been charged with home terrorism over a contemporary protest on the coaching heart, which has been dubbed “Cop Town” by way of critics of the middle and its location. The learning heart has captured the eye of police fighters and environmental demonstrators. In January, an environmental protester used to be fatally shot by way of government after, police mentioned, she shot at a state trooper.

Atlanta police condemned Sunday’s violence and blamed a “crew of violent agitators” the use of the quilt of a relaxed protest to release a “coordinated assault.” Police mentioned protesters threw massive rocks, bricks, Molotov cocktails and fireworks at officials. Movies launched by way of the police division confirmed a building car on hearth and police dodging fireworks on the gate of the development website.

Incorporated within the arrests used to be Thomas Jurgens, lawyer on the Southern Poverty Legislation Heart (SPLC). The SPLC showed Jurgens’ employment and instructed Newsweek in a commentary that Jurgens used to be on the protest as a “criminal observer” with the Nationwide Lawyers Guild (NLG).

“The worker is an skilled criminal observer, and their arrest isn’t proof of any crime, however of heavy-handed regulation enforcement intervention in opposition to protesters,” the SPLC mentioned.

The NLG mentioned criminal observers play an “essential function” in supporting motion organizers and activists and reaffirmed NLG’s dedication to supporting protests. NLG brushed aside the arrests as being an “ongoing a part of state repression” and as an indication that regulation enforcement “perspectives motion activists as enemies of the state.”

Each the Atlanta Police Division and Georgia Bureau of Investigation directed Newsweek to a prior commentary concerning the arrests.

Following the arrest, many Twitter customers criticized the SPLC, akin to North Carolina Consultant Dan Bishop, who requested if the group will name itself a “hate crew.”

Tony Perkins, president of the Circle of relatives Analysis Council, wrote, “This isn’t the primary time the Southern Poverty Legislation Heart has been attached to home terrorism. SPLC used to be attached to a 2012 home terrorist taking pictures at @FRCdc however this one might be onerous for them to dodge. An SPLC lawyer used to be a number of the 23 Antifa terrorists arrested.”

Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk additionally responded to the arrest, pronouncing, “Listed below are the 25 Antifa thugs who burned down executive assets and assaulted police officers the day before today in Atlanta, together with an SPLC attorney. What number of FBI brokers had been reassigned to bother folks, pro-life activists, and Catholics as a substitute of arrest those terrorists?”

Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch puzzled if the SPLC used to be “formally a home terrorist crew?”

Antifa’s been accused of being at the back of the protests and Jurgens’ arrest sparked claims that he used to be a member of the anti-fascist motion.

“Home terrorism suspect Thomas Webb Jurgens (b. Feb. 1995) is a body of workers lawyer for the @splcenter. The nonprofit’s body of workers has a chummy dating with #Antifa on Twitter,” conservative journalist Andy Ngo wrote in a tweet, sharing a photograph of Jurgens.

Accusations in opposition to Jurgens for being a member of antifa spilled over into criticism of the SPLC, which has been utilized by the FBI as a supply for categorizing home terrorists.

Libs of TikTok Twitter account additionally answered to the arrest: “The Southern Poverty Legislation Heart known as me a terrorist for posting a flyer of a publicly to be had drag display. Seems one among their legal professionals is an Antifa member and used to be arrested for home terrorism. It is all the time projection with them.”

Atlanta police have not known antifa as the gang at the back of the violence on Sunday and the SPLC didn’t reply to Newsweek’s emailed inquiry about accusations that Jurgens is a member of the motion.

Following the arrests, a few of the ones in opposition of the general public protection coaching heart answered, providing to assist the ones charged.

“As all the time, we’re dedicated to offering bail help and get admission to to criminal illustration for everybody arrested protesting. We’re already coordinating a community of legal professionals to reply. Please donate to assist us proceed this paintings. Unity way no person faces repression by myself!” The Atlanta Solidarity Fund wrote in a tweet.

Different organizations, akin to Shield the Atlanta Wooded area, have expressed opposition to the learning heart, arguing it is going to hurt Atlanta’s surroundings.