Today 5 community activists were arrested for protesting Atlanta's new "Cop City" with tree sits, forest blockades, and allegedly throwing rocks at police.
They're being charged with domestic terrorism.
Here's why all activists need to be paying attention:
They're being charged with domestic terrorism.
Here's why all activists need to be paying attention:
The Atlanta Public Safety Training Center -- dubbed "Cop City" -- is $90 million, 85-acre facility that would destroy one of the largest forested areas in the city.
Activists have set up blockades in the forest and occupied trees to halt development.
theguardian.com/environment/20…
Activists have set up blockades in the forest and occupied trees to halt development.
theguardian.com/environment/20…
Their fight is bigger than the forest.
The campaign has combined environmentalism with a critique of police brutality and prisons.
"It’s clearly not for us, it’s not for our community and it’s going to be adverse to us and our people" - Kwame Olufemi
11alive.com/article/news/l…
The campaign has combined environmentalism with a critique of police brutality and prisons.
"It’s clearly not for us, it’s not for our community and it’s going to be adverse to us and our people" - Kwame Olufemi
11alive.com/article/news/l…
The construction site is part of the Weelaunee Forest and what was once Native American land. The Muscogee people lived in the forest before being displaced.
It's also a former prison farm.
decaturish.com/2022/12/photos…
It's also a former prison farm.
decaturish.com/2022/12/photos…
As @BitterSouth described: "A band of activists has turned a fight over a large forest in Atlanta into a wild battle over the climate crisis, environmental justice, white supremacy & the future of policing."
PS read this excellent report by @DavidPeisner
bittersoutherner.com/feature/2022/t…
PS read this excellent report by @DavidPeisner
bittersoutherner.com/feature/2022/t…
The campaign has been building for months with protests, tree sits, road blockades and police stand-offs.
Police say protesters have sabotaged construction equipment and thrown rocks.
Cops responded by raiding the protest camp with chemical weapons.
Police say protesters have sabotaged construction equipment and thrown rocks.
Cops responded by raiding the protest camp with chemical weapons.
https://twitter.com/defendATLforest/status/1602768311888261121?s=20&t=Ju_2tRnO39tnLXjuvJFcGw
Today 5 people were charged with a variety of crimes including domestic terrorism.
Gov. Brian Kemp called it "bringing domestic terrorists to justice in Georgia" and "a strong reminder of that to anyone threatening our communities."
11alive.com/article/news/l…
Gov. Brian Kemp called it "bringing domestic terrorists to justice in Georgia" and "a strong reminder of that to anyone threatening our communities."
11alive.com/article/news/l…
So what did these "domestic terrorists" do?
Few details of the charges have been released, but the Georgia Bureau of Investigation says activists were "occupying makeshift tree houses" and threw rocks at police.
cnn.com/2022/12/14/us/…
Few details of the charges have been released, but the Georgia Bureau of Investigation says activists were "occupying makeshift tree houses" and threw rocks at police.
cnn.com/2022/12/14/us/…
I've covered social movements around the world for a few decades now.
Everything alleged is quite tame protest activity.
It's certainly not terrorism.
Everything alleged is quite tame protest activity.
It's certainly not terrorism.
Meanwhile a new Senate report says white supremacists are a "persistent and lethal" threat and the FBI is failing to address it.
In other words: the FBI is deliberately ignoring far right violence and instead focusing on tree sitters.
salon.com/2022/11/28/fbi…
In other words: the FBI is deliberately ignoring far right violence and instead focusing on tree sitters.
salon.com/2022/11/28/fbi…
This isn't anything new.
It's actually part of a decades-long FBI campaign against environmentalists as the bureau's stated "number one domestic terrorism threat."
That's a longer story. (Self promo plug: I wrote a book about it.)
It's actually part of a decades-long FBI campaign against environmentalists as the bureau's stated "number one domestic terrorism threat."
That's a longer story. (Self promo plug: I wrote a book about it.)
What began as a war against "eco-terrorism" became institutionalized across government agencies, and the repressive tactics honed against environmentalists have now been employed against the spectrum of contemporary social movements.
For cops, prosecutors, and politicians, cases like this are low-hanging fruit.
They all want to look like big baddies in the "War on Terrorism."
It's seen as a path to career advancement and counter-terrorism $$$.
They all want to look like big baddies in the "War on Terrorism."
It's seen as a path to career advancement and counter-terrorism $$$.
Plus it's easier to go after nonviolent environmental protesters than their FRIENDS in far right extremist groups.
reuters.com/investigates/s…
reuters.com/investigates/s…
I've investigated dozens of gov't repression cases like this internationally. They all follow a similar playbook.
A handful of individuals are selected for trumped-up charges in order to terrify the broader social movement into submission.
It's meant to chill protest. Period.
A handful of individuals are selected for trumped-up charges in order to terrify the broader social movement into submission.
It's meant to chill protest. Period.
Activist groups are targeted less for their actions than for their influence.
Remember, the FBI and its partners have a long history of seeking to "destroy" social movements gaining power.
nytimes.com/1976/05/09/arc…
Remember, the FBI and its partners have a long history of seeking to "destroy" social movements gaining power.
nytimes.com/1976/05/09/arc…
Watching the Cop City crackdown, it's easy to see why this campaign might be targeted.
The FBI has historically tried to isolate social movements, to create division and divide them from allies.
The campaign has made a point of resisting that.
The FBI has historically tried to isolate social movements, to create division and divide them from allies.
The campaign has made a point of resisting that.
These activists are connecting the intersecting issues of climate change, racism, and the militarization of police.
And they're doing it through community organizing and putting their bodies on the line.
It's not the tree sits. Not the rocks. This. This is the threat.
And they're doing it through community organizing and putting their bodies on the line.
It's not the tree sits. Not the rocks. This. This is the threat.
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