Four Years Under Siege: My Battle Against Antifa And The Chaos That Tried To Break Me

A few weeks ago, President Donald Trump designated Antifa a domestic terrorist organization. Most Americans know Antifa, if they’re lucky, from news coverage of the chaos it causes driving riots in big cities across the country. 

Ryan Millsap isn’t one of those Americans. Out of no fault of his own, Ryan found himself neighbors with the terrorist group.

What started out as an opportunity to make cool movies in a state-of-the-art facility in Georgia turned into a protracted, ad hoc battle with random radicals living in tree houses. 

It’s stories like Ryan’s that expose the very real damage groups like Antifa can do. We’re proud to have him tell it himself in The Daily Wire. — The Daily Wire

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The past four years of my life have been a relentless storm of attacks, lies, and betrayal — much of it orchestrated by radical activists who would rather burn down progress than see it thrive.

I never expected to end up in the crosshairs of Antifa, and that’s an understatement.

As a movie studio owner and real estate developer, I built Blackhall Studios into a cornerstone of Georgia’s film industry, creating jobs and opportunities.

When I entered into a land swap deal with DeKalb County, however, I drew the wrath of Antifa. This was all happening next door to the development of a new Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, that became known to the world as “Cop City.” When Antifa caught wind of the deal, chaos ensued.

This is my story. A story about a battle for a piece of land and for the truth in a world quick to crucify conservatives.

The Beginning: Building A Legacy

I wasn’t born into wealth. I made it the American way, with hard work and intelligent risk-taking. Growing up in California, I became a real estate developer and investor.

Following the financial crisis of 2008, I saw a new opportunity to acquire real estate across the Southeast and ended up purchasing over 8,000 apartments. In 2016, I seized on Georgia’s film industry boom, founding Blackhall Studios — an 850,000-square-foot powerhouse facility that helped produce hits like “Jungle Cruise,” “Jumanji,” “Venom,” and “Lovecraft Country.”

My team and I built a reputation of working cross-culturally with the community, hand-in-hand with Black leaders and Jewish colleagues. Through Advance DeKalb, I poured resources into the community, even offering to donate space to healthcare workers during the pandemic.

In 2018, I decided to expand Blackhall. Around the same time, the Atlanta Police Foundation planned a state-of-the-art public safety training facility to make Atlanta safer. The “Cop City” idea — next door to our planned expansion — was meant to train police and first responders to protect communities like DeKalb’s. To make it happen, I struck a land swap deal with DeKalb County: 55 acres of my studio’s land for 40 acres of Intrenchment Creek Park.

At the time, county officials and local leaders enthusiastically backed the deal. The county treated me as a partner, excited for the economic boost.

Then, in early 2021, Antifa showed up.

Credit: Ryan Millsap

The Turn: Antifa’s War On Progress

Hiding behind the “Defend the Atlanta Forest” banner, these “squatters” occupied the property, calling it “Weelaunee People’s Park.” To me, they didn’t appear to be peaceful environmentalists, but anarchists, funded and fueled by Antifa’s network, bent on sabotaging both our development and Cop City.

Their treehouses and protests were just the beginning of the chaos they would unleash. The “squatters’” antics turned violent fast. Rocks and full beer cans were thrown at workers on the site.

Then came the relentless legal battles. In 2020, the South River Watershed Alliance (SRWA) sued me and DeKalb County, alleging the land swap was illegal. Of course, it was not illegal, but abusive litigation is a hallmark of modern leftist terrorists. I filed an affidavit defending the deal, but the county’s response was indirect and they began to backpedal. I believe Antifa’s pressure campaign, with their deep pockets and activist networks, caused officials to abandon me.

Still, I had to fight back. So, I hired contractors and off-duty DeKalb police officers to secure the property. In a heated confrontation in July of 2022, protesters hurled objects at my team. Antifa lit my truck and trailer on fire and turned it into a bonfire of effigy. Then, in October of 2022, activists successfully torched Shadowbox Studios (formerly Blackhall).

Credit: Ryan Millsap

Meanwhile, I faced an onslaught of media attacks and online smears. A former attorney filed a public lawsuit that became fodder for hit pieces in local and national outlets. Social media campaigns — many from self-identified Antifa supporters — accused me of everything from greed to corruption.

I worked hard to protect my family from all the chaos, but my wife bore the brunt of the stress, living under the shadow of Antifa’s harassment and online threats.

Where I Stand Today: Fighting For Truth

More than four years later, the 40 acres I still own remain undeveloped, stalled by the prolonged protests, various lawsuits, and political shenanigans.

I sold Blackhall in 2021 to Commonwealth Group, now Shadowbox Studios, and shifted my focus to other endeavors.

Meanwhile, Cop City finally opened, a victory for law and order despite Antifa’s relentless opposition. President Trump himself highlighted the facility at a roundtable with independent journalists, calling out Antifa’s role in the violence against projects like mine. Their funding, likely from shadowy leftist groups, has fueled the chaos, from car burnings to media smear campaigns, all to stop progress.

The Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, referred to as ‘Cop City’ by opponents, under construction on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Photographer: Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Through it all, my family has been my rock. My wife, kids, and I have faced these attacks together, though the strain of Antifa’s threats and character assassination nonsense has tested us. I have lost many friendships throughout the city and the world because of this manufactured toxicity. But my faith keeps me grounded, and I’m fighting to protect my legacy for my family and community.

This story isn’t just mine — it’s happening in other pockets of America.

Look at the Dakota Access Pipeline, where protests against a $3.8 billion oil project in 2016 led to blockades, sabotage, and over 700 arrests, delaying completion and costing developers millions, all fueled by environmental and indigenous activism that echoed Antifa’s tactics.

Consider Tim Pool, the conservative podcaster who bought a derelict lot in West Virginia in 2023 to build a skatepark for local youth. His dream of a safe space for skaters to hang out was derailed by over two years of vandalism, gang tags, and anonymous threats, driven by opposition to his right-wing politics. Pool was forced to shut it down in 2025, a loss for the community he aimed to serve.

That’s not activism. That’s sabotage.

A Call For Courage

These cases and many others show how Antifa and their allies use funded protests, media hit jobs, digital attacks, and endless lawsuits to grind progress to a halt, targeting conservatives with anything they can manufacture to destroy them.

In sharing my experience, I hope to help expose Antifa’s playbook — using chaos and lies to silence those who dare build or challenge their agenda. It’s a call to stand up to their intimidation and defend the America that values hard work and entrepreneurial life.

The past four years have been brutal. Publicly, I’ve been vilified, my name dragged through the mud by Antifa’s allies in the media. But I won’t let terrorists define me. I’m still here, building, fighting, and believing in a country that rewards grit, intelligence, and an indefatigable spirit. They can burn my cars and spread lies, but they won’t break me, this country, or the truth.

To say that I’m excited that President Trump designated Antifa a terrorist group on October 7, 2025 after Charlie Kirk’s death is an understatement. I’ve known this truth for many years. These people hate America, hate Americanism, and want to see every hard-working, red-blooded American subjugated to their chaos. We must not let that happen.

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The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Ryan Millsap is an entrepreneur, investor, and the founder of Atlanta-based Blackhall Studios, the powerhouse production facility behind films like “Venom,” “Jumanji,” and “Jungle Cruise.” A lifelong builder and unapologetic American capitalist, Millsap has spent his career revitalizing communities through real estate, film, and philanthropy. He is also the host of The Blackhall Podcast where he interviews leaders shaping business, culture, and faith. Millsap continues to champion free enterprise, individual liberty, and the unbreakable American spirit from his home in Georgia.

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