‘Stop Cop City’ Defendants Defiant Despite RICO Charges and Mounting Evidence
Executive Summary
As the largest domestic RICO case in U.S. history progresses, 61 defendants accused of organized criminal activity to halt the construction of Atlanta’s public safety training facility—“Cop City”—returned to court this week. Despite extensive evidence, including surveillance footage and digital communications, the defendants and their supporters remain defiant. Coordinated solidarity actions, including one banner reading “Burn Cop City,” highlight the continued radicalization of the movement and its alignment with anarchist groups.
Analysis
The defendants, indicted under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, face a range of charges including arson, felony property destruction, and domestic terrorism stemming from a violent campaign to stop construction of the $118 million Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. Prosecutors allege that many of those charged engaged in direct criminal acts—from torching construction equipment to targeting law enforcement with explosives and rocks—while others provided material support through logistics, financing, and coordination.
The RICO case accuses the group of forming an organized criminal enterprise designed not only to stop a facility but to undermine state authority and law enforcement legitimacy. Prosecutors have submitted five terabytes of evidence, with an additional 57 gigabytes recently introduced, and have confirmed that suspects traveled across state and national borders to participate in the campaign—underscoring its coordinated, multi-jurisdictional scope.
One defendant, Priscilla Grim, is accused of participating in a violent raid on the construction site during a protest disguised as a music festival. Surveillance footage shows individuals—allegedly including Grim—torching equipment and attacking officers. She later lost a university contract after being publicly identified.
In another incident, Hannah Kass is accused of launching Roman candles at a building, while Julia Dupuis allegedly distributed threatening flyers near the home of an officer involved in a prior raid, calling him a “murderer.”
Despite the severity of the charges and potential prison sentences of up to 20 years, the movement’s ideological wing remains emboldened. A Telegram channel associated with anarchist organizing published photos of banners in Chicago, Minneapolis, and New Orleans expressing solidarity with the defendants—one reading “Burn Cop City,” directly referencing incendiary tactics used at the site.
Officials argue the training facility is critical for modernizing law enforcement capabilities and boosting officer morale. Critics claim it symbolizes overreach and “militarization.” Nonetheless, violent opposition—including arson, sabotage, and threats—has made clear the movement is not merely symbolic but actively criminal.
Judge Kevin Farmer has signaled the trial will proceed in phases, with up to 12 separate trials. However, delays caused by new evidence submissions and defense motions continue to stall progress. Prosecutors maintain that trying the case is necessary to uphold the rule of law and prevent further escalation.
With President Trump’s administration pushing federal crackdowns on extremist protest movements and threatening to defund colleges that tolerate “illegal demonstrations,” the case against the “ATL61” may serve as a bellwether for how domestic unrest is addressed moving forward.
