ATLANTA — Twitter officials suspended an account that called for a “night of rage” after law enforcement officials shot and killed a protester on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, protester Manuel Esteban Paez Teran, 26, was killed after Georgia Bureau of Investigation said he shot a Georgia State Patrol trooper. The GBI said GSP was conducting a clearing raid in the woods that protesters have been occupying for months.
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According to GBI, Teran shot at troopers without warning, critically injuring one.
The Twitter account, Scenes from the Atlanta Forest (@scenesatl) posted a tweet that called for a “night of rage” and violent retaliation on Friday night. Flyers were also distributed. However, both did not specify a location for the proposed violence.
Twitter suspended the account and said that it violated community guidelines.
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On Wednesday, the GBI arrested seven protesters. WSB Tonight at 11 p.m. spoke with one protester who was not arrested, but said those arrested didn’t deserve it.
“The state of Georgia is trying to arrest and suppress and literally murder peaceful protestors,” protester Misty Novitch told Channel 2′s Courtney Francisco. “We’re standing against the destruction of the last largest forest in Atlanta to build a police training facility. We call it Cop City, and this is the opposite we should be going.”
The GBI argues that over the past year demonstrators have not been peaceful. Instead, the GBI said the group has set fires, thrown explosives and vandalized contractor offices.
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Atlanta police said they are aware of calls to violence from people sympathetic to a protester killed by police at the site of a planned police training facility and are on “high alert.”
“Our officers are on high alert, and we will continue our work to keep our streets safe for our residents, businesses, and visitors alike.” Atlanta police said in a statement Thursday. “We remain in close contact with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners and are grateful for their commitment to our shared goal of creating the safest communities possible for our city.”
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