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Georgia RICO law requires at minimum: two people, and the commitment of two criminal acts in furtherance of the same criminal goal, within a period of four years. It has been applied in Georgia, and in Fulton County, to indict co-conspirators related to the efforts to overturn a free and fair election for the office of President, it has been used to successfully prosecute inflation of test scores by Atlanta teachers, and it has been used to indict these 61 members of Defend the Atlantc Forest.

RICO laws are designed to prosecute criminal conspiracies. "Traditional" organized crime, in the form of mafias, is certainly what prompted this kind of legislation. That does not exclude the law from being applied to non-mafia criminal conspiracies.

I would posit that protest organizations like the one charged here could desire prosecution, as it brings their cause more attention. And if their defense is unsuccessful against statements like:

"As the indictment asserts, members of Defend the Atlanta Forest subscribe to a philosophy of anarchy. They hold a core belief that society should abolish police, government and private business. And as further alleged, they are willing to bring about such changes 'by any means necessary,' including violence," he said.

Then their actions go well beyond simple "civil disobedience" (something I am wholeheartedly in favor of) and fall into the area of dangerous criminal action. Dangerous criminal actions should be prosecuted.