Entrepreneur Ryan Millsap recounts a four-year ordeal battling Antifa activists who opposed his land swap in DeKalb County, Georgia, tied to the expansion near the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center known as 'Cop City.' What began as a promising development project turned into violent protests, lawsuits, and personal harassment. Millsap shares his story to highlight the tactics of radical groups undermining progress.
Ryan Millsap, founder of Blackhall Studios, built a successful film production facility in Georgia starting in 2016. The 850,000-square-foot studio produced major films including 'Jungle Cruise,' 'Jumanji,' 'Venom,' and 'Lovecraft Country,' creating jobs and fostering community ties through initiatives like Advance DeKalb.
In 2018, Millsap pursued expansion by striking a land swap deal with DeKalb County: trading 55 acres of his studio land for 40 acres from Intrenchment Creek Park. This was adjacent to the planned Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, dubbed 'Cop City' by opponents, aimed at training police and first responders. County officials initially supported the agreement, viewing it as an economic boon.
Tensions escalated in early 2021 when activists, backed by Antifa networks under the 'Defend the Atlanta Forest' banner, occupied the site and renamed it 'Weelaunee People’s Park.' Protests quickly turned violent, with rocks and full beer cans thrown at workers. Millsap hired contractors and off-duty police for security.
Legal challenges followed. In 2020, the South River Watershed Alliance sued Millsap and the county, claiming the swap was illegal. Millsap filed an affidavit defending it, but he believes Antifa's pressure led officials to withdraw support. A July 2022 confrontation saw protesters hurl objects at his team, and Antifa set his truck and trailer ablaze. In October 2022, activists torched Shadowbox Studios, formerly Blackhall, which Millsap had sold in 2021 to Commonwealth Group.
Media smears and online threats targeted Millsap and his family, accusing him of greed and corruption. The 40 acres remain undeveloped due to ongoing protests, lawsuits, and political issues. Cop City eventually opened despite opposition. Millsap notes President Trump's October 7, 2025, designation of Antifa as a domestic terrorist group following Charlie Kirk’s death.
'I never expected to end up in the crosshairs of Antifa,' Millsap writes, emphasizing the personal toll on his family and lost friendships. He compares his experience to protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline in 2016 and Tim Pool's 2023 skatepark project in West Virginia, shut down in 2025 amid vandalism.