Atlanta police arrest 6 in night of chaos after violent protesters lit cop car ablaze, smashed windows

The fiery chaos comes after an activist, Manuel Esteban Paez Teran, 26, was killed by police

Atlanta police arrested at least six people after a peaceful protest Saturday erupted into a night of chaos and violence that included protesters smashing windows and setting a police vehicle on fire, the mayor said.

“Atlanta is safe and our police officers have resolved the disruptions downtown from earlier in the evening,” City of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said Saturday evening.

“The City of Atlanta and the Atlanta Police Department will continue to protect the right to peaceful protest. We will not tolerate violence or property destruction,” the mayor added.

Rioters in Atlanta also set off fireworks and threw rocks at the Atlanta Police Foundation Saturday evening, according FOX 5 Atlanta.

The protests began peacefully on Saturday before spiraling into chaotic riots, according to FOX 5. Over the span of several hours, destruction ensued through several blocks of the downtown area.

Protestors were angry about the death of 26-year-old Manuel Esteban Paez Teran, who was killed by police after he allegedly refused demands from authorities on Wednesday and fired a gun at state troopers at the site of the new Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.

The activist reportedly identified as a nonbinary person who went by the name Tortuguita (“little turtle” in Spanish) and used they/it pronouns. Protesters carried signs with Tortuguita’s name on Saturday.

“An individual, without warning, shot a Georgia State Patrol trooper,” Georgia Bureau of Investigations’ Michael Register told reporters earlier this week.

More From FoxNews: