Thread by @UR_Ninja

Around 100 people with families and kids in the street are marching now in Atlanta - more coverage soon

LIVE NOW - twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
Weelaunee Youth Rally & Festival to "Stop Cop City" in East Atlanta

Youth rally & festival supports #StopCopCity effort - march was earlier - tune in now - twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

We are live now - twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
Weelaunee Youth Rally & Festival to "Stop Cop City" in East Atlanta #copcity #atlanta

twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…
Stop cop city raid press conference

we will be back shortly - thanks for the patience everyone!

Live now - Stop cop city raid press conference #stopcopcity twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

“All of a sudden they were sleeping and then they hear announcements to get out immediately with their hands up, people were facing rifles in their face…police would not say why they were there…a warrant was not provided…”
twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

“From the circumstances it’s clear it was part of a strategy to repress and intimidate the movement to #StopCopCity and #DefendTheForest…it’s likely the police will claim this is a routine investigation…”
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“Police will likely claim they made an arrest on scene…the arrest was because of [an old] traffic ticket, not alleged crimes related to the movement…it’s important that we understand this raid as part of an ongoing process of abuse of the legal process…to harass…protesters…”

“We’ve heard reports of people being stopped and frisked because they met the profile of suspected protesters…police and prosecutors are abusing the legal process to intimidate and repress this movement….”- Marlon from @ATLSolFund

“As the police they have a vested interest in building Cop City… from a civil liberties perspective we find this all very disturbing…”

“These charges are being levied against activists not because prosecutors expect to be able to convict these people…it’s being used as an intimidation tactic, to make people afraid to join this moment…to keep people locked up long enough for this project to be built…”

“When we first started organizing in 2021… we would have police break [rallies] up, throw people to the ground, pepper spray them and arrest them…police decided to step up their tactics…to form a task force…they began to talk about being charges of twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

“Jan 18, they arrested 6 more forest defenders and charged them w domestic terrorism.. they also killed a forest defender Tortuguita, which evidence has now come out through an independent autopsy that their hands were up…ever since then, they’ve continued their tactics…”

“…now we’re coming to a point where they’re raiding houses, they’re telling activists they can’t stand on a corner handing out leaflets without being told to disperse… people have a right to protest and express anger…” - @kamaufranklin

“The narrative that criminalizes protesters ends now. Instead we’ll talk about the real criminals: the Atlanta PD, the mayor, and at this stage the federal govt bc they’ve been involved in the repression and suppression of this movement” - @kamaufranklin

Manuel ‘Tortuguita’ Terran’s mother Belkis Teran is addressing the crowd now:

twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

“I’m here because I’m looking for justice about my son’s death. It has been very difficult this 1.5 months…

“Everybody’s asking me why I’m strong. I’m strong because Manuel was an untouchable person, a caring, loving, supporting person to this community and our family. Yes, I’m suffering…but this suffering is giving to me power - power to fight, power to stand.”

- Belkis Teran

“Yes, I’m an ‘outsider’, but my son was killed here, and I have to know what is going on…I need to know as a mother what happened… I bet with my whole heart to know what is happening in this forest…people are suffering.”

-Belkis Teran

twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

Belkis Teran describes how her child Manuel ‘Tortuguita’ Esteban Paez Teran would pick up trash from beaches and give food, water and shelter to the homeless, and how she is reminded of this seeing homeless people left uncared for by authorities around downtown Atlanta.

“He was a terrorist??!? He deserved his death?!?? Somebody answer to me!!” - Belkis Teran

*beg

Police helicopter flying over the youth and family rally as it ended:

https://twitter.com/UR_Ninja/status/1634630378563551237?t=KEXjI7nJjJtk_rGeB9bBhA&s=19

Photos of the ~100 youth and families marching in the street earlier today advocating for the protection of the forest and in opposition of the proposed 'Cop City' project in Atlanta, GA.

After the march, families and community members shared food and drinks at Brownwood Park in Southeast Atlanta. Children participated in activities such as painting/drawing, face painting, building blocks, blowing bubbles, etc.

At the end of the event, some local community organizers and Belkis Terán (Manuel 'Tortuguita' Terán's mother) spoke about the morning raid at LEAF and about the independent autopsy report released yesterday.

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