Emory University in Atlanta was the scene of intense protests on Thursday morning, resulting in the arrest of 28 individuals, including 20 members of the Emory community. The demonstrators were divided between pro-Palestinian supporters and those opposing the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center and law enforcement.

The day started with a group of activists gathering on the university's Decatur campus, joining other major universities across the country in calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. These protesters, consisting of students from multiple Atlanta universities and community members, voiced their support for Palestine and their opposition to the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, also known as "Cop City."

According to an article posted on Mondoweiss.net, the demonstrators demanded "total institutional divestment from Israeli apartheid and Cop City at all Atlanta colleges and universities." They accused Emory University of being complicit in genocide and police militarization, along with other institutions such as the Atlanta University Center Consortium, Georgia State University, and Georgia Tech.

The article also made claims about the origins of Cop City, asserting that it was linked to the Israeli Urban Warfare Training Center, nicknamed "Mini Gaza," which allegedly received funding of $45 million from the US. The protesters argued that these training centers served as live testing grounds for strategies used against marginalized communities in both occupied Palestine and Atlanta.

In response to the protest, Laura Diamond, assistant vice president of University Communications at Emory University, stated that the protesters were trespassing on campus and attempting to disrupt university activities. Emory Police Department ordered the group to leave and sought assistance from the Atlanta Police Department and Georgia State Patrol. Officers used tasers and tear gas to control the crowd and made several arrests, including both students and faculty members.

Following the initial confrontation, the protesters regrouped in a different area of the campus. Similar pro-Palestinian protests have been taking place across US universities recently, including at Columbia University, New York University, and the University of Texas.

Earlier in the week, Emory University was also targeted with graffiti on multiple buildings, some of which bore the message "Stop Cop City." These incidents come amid ongoing protests against the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, which have included activists chaining themselves to construction equipment and setting construction and police vehicles on fire.

The Atlanta Public Safety Training Center is scheduled to open by the end of the year, but concerns over its impact on the community continue to be voiced.

The protests at Emory University have sparked reactions from political figures. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp expressed gratitude for the swift response of law enforcement and vowed that college campuses in Georgia would not be a safe haven for those promoting terrorism and extremism. The ACLU of Georgia, on the other hand, emphasized the importance of safeguarding the freedom to protest without retribution and expressed concern over recent crackdowns on speech and protest in the state.

As the situation unfolds, it remains unknown if those arrested will face charges. The university and law enforcement agencies are working together to expedite the release of any Emory community members who are still in custody.