SPLC Lawyer Among 23 Arrested For Domestic Terrorism
The Southern Poverty Law Center maintains a controversial list of organizations that it has determined should be treated as hate groups. Many of the names on that list are conservative and/or religious in nature, making it a convenient source for leftist politicians to use when attempting to demonize their partisan rivals.
As it turns out, the SLPC was apparently so busy scrutinizing the supposed extremists on the right that it missed one suspected domestic terrorist within its ranks.
According to recent reports, nearly three dozen demonstrators were arrested during a destructive anti-police protest in Atlanta, Georgia, over the weekend — including SLPC attorney Thomas Webb Jurgens.
The area has been under siege by protesters in recent weeks as construction continues on the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, which critics call “Cop City.”
In the latest protest on Sunday, 28-year-old Jurgens was among the 23 people detained on suspicion of domestic terrorism. He is one of just two suspects who live in Georgia.
The mob allegedly threw explosives including fireworks and Molotov cocktails in the direction of the new facility. Authorities say the overwhelming majority of troublemakers are from outside of the area — as far away as Canada and France.
As in response to previous protests, authorities from Atlanta and neighboring communities responded to help restore peace on Sunday. Police Chief Darin Schierbaum told reporters construction equipment was destroyed during the latest demonstration.
Authorities said that the destruction was part of a “coordinated attack” in which participants “used the cover of a peaceful protest” to get close to the construction zone. From there, they allegedly put on “black clothing” and forced their way into the unfinished site.
“The illegal actions of the agitators could have resulted in bodily harm,” the Atlanta Police Department confirmed in a subsequent statement, noting that its officers and those in other agencies “have a multi-layered strategy that includes reaction and arrest” in anticipation of future protests.
As Schierbaum concluded: “This wasn’t about a public safety training center. This was about anarchy … and we are addressing that quickly.”
Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also weighed in on the unrest in a statement reiterating his previous declaration that “domestic terrorism will NOT be tolerated in this state.”
