ATLANTA — Emory University students rallied Monday against the construction of Atlanta's public safety training center.
A few dozen students held the rally to speak out against the site, referred to as "Cop City" by protesters and those opposing the development.
11Alive spoke with the organizer, who said, they feel passionate about police violence and climate change.
"I think we feel a responsibility to support and uplift the voices of the Atlanta community and sort of bolster the cries for justice," First-year Emory University Jaanaki Radhakrishnan said.
Radhakrishnan said they're calling on university officials to drop ties with the Atlanta Committee for Progress, which has been supportive of the development, and to condemn the project as a whole.
"We are calling for transparency from the university as to our investments and any other ties to the development of Cop City. And finally, we are calling for the university to use its power and influence to come out and make a direct statement in condemning the development of Cop City, " Radhakrishnan added.
Emory University officials released a statement Monday in response. You can read it in full below:
Emory students organized a rally Monday to oppose the proposed training center. We respect and support the rights of our students, faculty, and staff to express their opinions on this issue and others.
As an institution, Emory does not have any ties to the Atlanta Police Foundation. The safety of our community is one of our top priorities and we work with and support law enforcement agencies and local and state officials on a variety of issues, including public safety.
Emory is a member of the Atlanta Committee for Progress (ACP), which started in 2003 as a partnership between the mayor and business, civic and university leaders to support positive change on issues of critical importance to our city.