ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — On Thursday, DeKalb County’s Zoning Committee postponed a vote to make sweeping changes to the county’s regulations on data center development.

The committee was set to take up the vote during its meeting Thursday night, but instead delayed it until Dec. 16.

Before the committee meeting, a couple dozen people rallied outside the county headquarters, calling on the county to strengthen the proposed regulations.

“They should be prioritizing the needs of the people, not the needs of these billionaires,” said Ngaya Swai, who lives in Candler Park.

During the meeting, tensions boiled over, with Commissioner Michelle Long Spears at one point asking police to escort out some attendees who chanted “Let the people speak,” according to our news partners at

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