BRIEF OVERVIEW OF COP CITY
The Atlanta Police Foundation, a private organization funded by corporations, has conspired with Atlanta and Dekalb County officials to build a tactical police training center in a predominately Black community in South Atlanta. The plans include military-grade facilities, a mock city to practice urban tactical operations, explosives testing areas, dozens of shooting ranges, and a Black Hawk helicopter landing pad. During the protest movement in 2020, millions of people took to the streets throughout America demanding police be held accountable for murder, with a growing number of people calling for defunding police and reallocating funds to more humane (and effective) social programs. What we are witnessing now is a backlash at the local, state, and federal levels as police budgets are increasing at record levels along with a rapid expansion of efforts to increase the military capacity of police departments.
In addition to the harm the Copy City facility will cause to the surrounding communities and people all over the city, it will also wreak havoc on the environment. The building site they have chosen for this facility is Weelauni Forest / Intrenchment Creek Park, the largest remaining forest within the Atlanta perimeter area. Despite residents speaking out in public hearings, petitions, and ongoing protests, Atlanta officials and corporate sponsors still intend to move forward.
Several protesters have been arrested and charged with domestic terrorism. To levy such an absurdly excessive charge for nonviolent acts of civil disobedience establishes a horrific precedent that anyone who values the right to protest social injustices should be paying close attention to. Some of the protesters were arrested in a SWAT raid in Weelaunee Forest where they used rubber shots, pepper spray, and even real bullets which resulted in the murder of one protester. Activists have been living in the forest (which is public land) as an act of protest in an area near to the proposed Cop City site which is also set to be destroyed. After Dekalb County approved a shady real estate swap, an additional 40-acre section was handed over to a Hollywood developer who intends to build a soundstage near the Cop City site.
Cop City has several corporate sponsors. The Board and Cop City donor list includes: Cox Enterprises, Delta Airlines, Arthur Blank, Equifax, Georgia Power, Coca Cola Company, The Home Depot, Koch Brothers, Chik Fil A, Blackhall Studios, UPS, Norfolk Southern, The Loudermilk Family, Waffle House, Bank of America
INFORMATIVE ARTICLES
https://theintercept.com/2021/08/11/atlanta-police-training-center/
LOCAL STOP COP CITY! ORGANIZERS
Stopcopcity | Site: stopcop.city | IG: @stopcopcity (also, follow #stopcopcity)
Atlanta Forest Defenders | IG: @defendatlantaforest
Atlanta Solidarity Fund | Site: atlsolidarity.org | IG: @atlsolfund
Provides support for people who are arrested at protests, or otherwise prosecuted for their movement involvement
Community Movement Builders | Site: communitymovementbuilders.org | IG: @communitymovementbuilders
Check back again soon. We will be updating this resource page regularly as the movement progresses.
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