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Thomas Webb Jurgens: SPLC lawyer among 23 Antifa thugs charged over violent Atlanta 'Cop City' attack

Authorities say that 35 'agitators' were detained from the violent protest that took place at a police training facility in Atlanta

ATLANTA, GEORGIA: Thomas Webb Jurgens, a lawyer with the far-left Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), is accused of being an Antifa activist and has been charged with domestic terrorism in connection with the Atlanta riots. Jurgens, 28, was one of 23 people detained during tense clashes between police and protesters at the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center site.

On Sunday, March 5, police were attacked with fireworks and Molotov cocktails during the protests, which also caused damage to construction materials and machinery. The protests against the police station, which they call 'Cop City,' have been going on for some time. On Monday, March 6, the Atlanta Police Department released information about the suspects. Most of the participants are men and women from outside Georgia, suggesting they are deliberately seeking support from outside Georgia. The protesters also included a former teacher who has been involved in similar protests in the past and a young dancer who only recently began activism. Jurgens and 22 other activists, some of whom had traveled from as far away as France and Canada, were charged with domestic terrorism in connection with the disturbances at the police training facility.

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Who is Thomas Webb Jurgens?

Jurgens started working for the SPLC in September 2021 on the organization's Economic Justice Project, according to his LinkedIn profile. The Southern Poverty Law Center, a social justice organization, has stated goals of dismantling white supremacy, advancing intersectional movements, and expanding the human rights of everyone. Republican activists assert that the SPLC is a "radical" left-wing, "anti-Christian" group, according to DailyMail.

Jurgens has also worked as an assistant public defender and a legal intern for a US Attorney's Office in Florida. He is listed on the Florida Bar website as an employed SPLC attorney. His outstanding academic achievements include a stint at the famed University of Oxford in England and a Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia School of Law.

Atlanta PD asks for this week's protests to be peaceful

A statement from the Atlanta Police Department read, "On March 5, 2023, a group of violent agitators used the cover of a peaceful protest of the proposed Atlanta Public Safety Training Center to conduct a coordinated attack on construction equipment and police officers," reports DailyMail.

The statement continued, "They changed into black clothing and entered the construction area and began to throw large rocks, bricks, Molotov cocktails, and fireworks at police officers. The agitators destroyed multiple pieces of construction equipment by fire and vandalism. Multiple law enforcement agencies deployed to the area and detained several people committing illegal activity."

Authorities reported that 35 "agitators" were detained. Whether the other 12 are also facing charges remains unclear. Police stated, "The illegal actions of the agitators could have resulted in bodily harm. Officers exercised restraint and used non-lethal enforcement to conduct arrests."

"With protests planned for the coming days, the Atlanta Police Department, in collaboration with law enforcement partners, have a multi-layered strategy that includes reaction and arrest. The Atlanta Police Department asks for this week's protests to remain peaceful," Police concluded

Why were Antifa riots?

Protesters, who organized under the name 'Stop Cop City,' claim that the 381 acres of Weelaunee Forest are "stolen Muscogee land," and their establishment would result in the eradication of wildlife and forestry, according to DailyMail. Supporters of Stop Cop City claim that the land is owned by the City of DeKalb County, not the City of Atlanta, which the mayor's office has refuted.