Two protesters who climbed more than 100 feet in the air and tied themselves to a crane at a Midtown construction site Wednesday morning in opposition to Atlanta’s public safety training center had to then climb back down after law enforcement freed them.
Body camera footage released by police Thursday revealed that 23-year-old Parker Demos and 22-year-old Frederick Hetzel used a device that authorities call a “sleeping dragon” to lock their arms around the crane. A 911 call was made around 6 a.m. alerting officials of the protesters sitting 144 feet above the city.
“I’ve got somebody in my crane. I don’t know if it’s a protest or what,” the 911 caller said.
Atlanta police officers, SWAT team members and firefighters responded to the Brasfield & Gorrie construction site at Edge Hill Avenue and Watkins Street to remove the two by sawing through the sleeping dragons, which involves placing an individual’s hands inside PVC pipes and other materials to make it difficult to cut through. The footage shows officials covering one of the protesters with a tarp as they cut through the device.
Demos and Hetzel were cut free more than three hours later. The footage then shows one of the protesters being attached to a rope by a harness and being asked to climb down the crane.
“We’re going to cut. That’s what we do. That’s what we get paid to do, is cut. So, y’all guys have made it up to the top. Y’all got the crowd, everybody is happy. They’re satisfied with you at this point. There’s no need to put yourselves in a situation,” a law enforcement officer can be heard saying to the protesters.
A group of co-activists gathered near the crane starting at around 4:30 a.m. Those opposed to the training center have said its construction will damage the South River Forest in DeKalb County and contribute to what they believe is the militarization of the police department. City officials have said the facility, which is set to open later this year, is necessary to maintain well-trained police and fire departments.
Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said Wednesday’s protests took law enforcement personnel away from being able to respond to and patrol other areas of the city.
“What if an active shooter had hit any of our 245 neighborhoods or went to an Atlanta public school and they asked for our help? What if we had a major accident on the expressway? Our response would have been impacted,” he said.
Similar protests have occurred this year. Earlier this month, an activist was locked to a construction elevator at another Brasfield & Gorrie work site along Peachtree Street between 17th and West Peachtree streets. In January, two protesters locked themselves to equipment at a separate Brasfield & Gorrie site at 12th and Juniper streets.
Demos and Hetzel were arrested and face charges of criminal trespass, false imprisonment, obstruction and reckless conduct.
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