Judge Tosses RICO Charges Against 61 “Stop Cop City” Protesters In Major Victory For Activists

A Georgia judge’s decision to dismiss racketeering charges against 61 “Stop Cop City” protesters is being hailed as a major victory for activists opposing Atlanta’s controversial police and firefighter training facility. Fulton County Judge Kevin Farmer ruled that Attorney General Chris Carr lacked authority under Georgia’s RICO law without Gov. Brian Kemp’s approval, saying, “It would have been real easy to just ask the governor… The steps just weren’t followed.” Defense attorney Don Samuel called the sweeping case “an assault on the right of people to protest” and urged the court to “put a stop to this.”

Carr, a Republican running for governor, had pursued what experts described as the largest RICO case ever filed against protesters in U.S. history. Defendants faced accusations ranging from Molotov cocktails to distributing food to forest encampments and handing out fliers. Many had their lives disrupted for years—struggling to find jobs or housing—while awaiting trial. Farmer criticized prosecutors for bringing a “61-person elephant” to court and noted their “gross negligence” in handling evidence.

Though the RICO charges are set to be tossed, the fight is not over. Five defendants still face domestic terrorism charges from a 2023 protest where activists burned a police car and damaged property. Carr’s office vowed to “appeal immediately,” insisting the ruling is “wholly incorrect” and pledging to continue pursuing those he labeled “domestic terrorists and violent criminals.” Activists, however, see the charges as politically motivated. Defense attorney Xavier de Janon said, “The prosecutions haven’t ended against this movement… This is a win, and hopefully many more will come.”

The Stop Cop City movement emerged from the 2020 racial justice protests, uniting environmentalists, anarchists, and community organizers who argue the $115 million, 85-acre project destroys Black neighborhoods’ forested land and trains police to suppress dissent. The killing of activist Tortuguita by state troopers in January 2023—disputed by their family, who say their hands were raised—fueled outrage. Critics argue the facility, supported by Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and Gov. Kemp, represents environmental harm and militarized policing. For activists, Judge Farmer’s decision offers a reprieve in a broader struggle against what they view as state overreach and criminalization of protest.

Link: AP News