A coalition of organizations and organizers are announcing a referendum on the Cop City lease. Nsé Ufot is opening the press conference.

“Stop Cop City: Let Atlanta Decide”

Thread here. “Today we are here to let the people decide.” Kamau Franklin saying the majority of Atlantans are against Cop City, and yet the City Council has ignored them. Announces they’re filing a referendum for a ballot initiative to let the people vote on ending the Cop City lease.

Bernice King speaking now about Cop City, speaking about how communities have been excluded from decisionmaking that goes on between corporations and elected officials. #StopCopCity "This was the second time in three weeks that people came before the City Council...they came with facts in hand...at the end of the day, it was as if 'we're just gonna do this so we can check it off the list and say we've had a listening session with the citizens."

Well, the Atlanta City Council passed $67 million in funding for Cop City, by an 11-4 margin, after over 15 hours of essentially unanimous public comment against it.

Quick thoughts before I go to bed. This was a historic 24 hours. Absolutely shattered every record of public turnout. Made clear, unequivocally, that Atlanta residents are against Cop City. Over a thousand people turned out, repping many more. Incredibly diverse crew. Everyday Atlantans. Firmly against Cop City.

Alright public comment is over. Moving onto main council meeting. The vote will be during the finance committee. Will put updates in this thread Motion to move finance committee report after general remarks — making it the last item on the agenda. Bullshit.

The hour of public comment just ended, and people are rightfully demanding to be allowed to speak. Some people have been waiting 14 hours. Chanting let them speak! They are releasing for 15 minutes as people continue to chant Stop Cop City

obsessed with this person holding up a QR code citing their sources Hey while you’re here donate to the Atlanta community press collective and follow them!! @atlanta_press opencollective.com/acpc

Councilmember Lewis making a motion, seconded by Councilmember Waites, to extend the public comment sign up period so that everyone can speak who has been waiting. Legal department is saying it's not allowed. They're saying nothing is possible. This is outrageous.

We’re over two hours from the start of the meeting, and this is already the crowd that’s formed, with chants of stop cop city and viva viva Tortuguita breaking out — and a ton of cops just walked in to join those already here. Really makes you feel safe, doesn’t it?

The city says it’s only tearing down 85 acres, but we know there’s nothing binding in the lease to hold the Atlanta police foundation to that, and that they leased over 380 acres to the APF. The plan has continually changed, and there’s no reason to think they won’t keep going. They also have yet to allocate or even plan to allocate any money for this “parks” preservation, nor should preservation be contingent on destruction. So those who want to claim misinformation can kick rocks! atlpresscollective.com/2023/05/24/bac…

Huge reporting from Atlanta's paper of record documenting that the Mayor @andreforatlanta has been effectively lying to residents for years, citing @atlanta_press's investigation.

Excellent reporting, thanks @ribunchreports!!
ajc.com/news/atlanta-n… "In the spring of 2021, the Atlanta Police Foundation announced an attractive deal for city taxpayers.

If the city put up $30 million for a public safety training center, [the Atlanta Police Foundation] would handle the rest of the project’s $90 million price tag."

for @MSNBC, I wrote about the arrest of the Atlanta Solidarity Fund organizers, the bipartisan crackdown on protesters in Atlanta, and why everyone––regardless of where you are––should care about the struggle to #StopCopCity.

a couple main points:
msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-… First, the arrest of long-time bail fund and mutual aid activists is just the latest in the Atlanta and Georgia police's extreme repression of the Stop Cop City movement––from the assassination of Tortuguita to the charging of 42 people with domestic terrorism.

The @NAACP_LDF has issued a statement condemning the targeting of the Atlanta Solidarity Fund and calling for a DOJ investigation into the arrests.

"We echo the demand reverberating across Georgia, and the nation, that Cop City must not be constructed."
naacpldf.org/press-release/… "We are deeply concerned about the apparent targeting of Atlanta Solidarity Fund members...particularly in light of Magistrate Judge James Altman’s recent criticism of the evidence presented by the State against them, which he decried as unimpressive in today’s bail hearing."

Okay I want everyone to read this transcript of a radio conversation between Atlanta police officers regarding the arrests of the Atlanta Solidarity Fund Activists.

https://twitter.com/sally_yachts/status/1664737774191226881

"We've been putting pressure on them and attacking them from all different angles"

APD openly admitting that they've been attacking the movement from all angles.

GOOD NEWS: Judge is granting bond for all three Atlanta Solidarity Fund defendants, and notes concerns about the flimsiness of the charges and lack of evidence thus far. Even the judge is expressing doubt about these charges––which tells you how spurious they are. #StopCopCity Hasn't said the actual amount of bond, or conditions of bond, yet.

"I don't find it real impressive" –– the judge regarding the case so far. Says it may be there, but it's not for him to decide at first appearance.

This is really scary, y'all. The state is coming after everyone we know and love for having the courage to collectively resist further destruction of the planet and expansion of policing. We have to keep fighting back just as hard. #StopCopCity Please mobilize every media contact you have. Join an organization or a collective. Make a solidarity statement. Look for coming Calls to Action. Donate to the Solidarity Fund. secure.actblue.com/donate/atlanta…

And if you are in Atlanta, plan to be at City Hall on June 5th at 12pm!!!

I just want to say that yesterday's #StopCopCity turnout at city hall is the result of THOUSANDS of hours of door to door canvassing. Conversations in grocery store parking lots. Block parties. Town halls. Info sessions. Workshops. ORGANIZING. So many people have put so much unseen labor into this movement, doing the nitty gritty work of organizing and educating people. This is a truly robust, people-powered movement.

Okay let me tell you what happened today.

Atlanta residents showed up for over 7 hours of public comment against cop city. The line to sign up for comment wound throughout City hall, down the stairs, and outside. An estimated 100 people — several more hours of comment — were not able to sign up despite waiting hours in line. Atlanta residents of all experienced and identities spoke for over 7 hours against cop city. Loudly and clearly.

Currently, 7 of 15 councilmembers are still sitting in the City Council chamber. Public comment is continuing. Those who remain are: Jason Winston, Amir Farokhi, Jason Dozier, Liliana Bakhtiari, Michael Julian Bond, and Keisha Waites. Missing: Byron Amos, Howard Shook, Mary Norwood, Dustin Hillis, Andrea Boone, Marci Overstreet, Antonio Lewis, Matt Westmoreland

Public comment is about to start! Going to do running tally here, feel free to follow along.

Also follow @ACPC_Live for updates!!

docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d… Can hear the hundreds of people chanting outside the chamber. It's beautiful and powerful. We are going to Stop Cop City. #StopCopCity

The line to sign up for public comment is OUT THE DOOR of city hall and only getting longer. Atlanta does NOT WANT COP CITY

https://twitter.com/micahinatl/status/1658149118936596482

If you're outside of Atlanta and want to support, please donate to:

Atlanta Community Press Collective (@atlanta_press): opencollective.com/acpc

Atlanta Solidarity Fund (@ATLSolFund): actionnetwork.org/fundraising/co…

Councilmember Bakhtiari speaking against the use of domestic terrorism label for protesters. Says it’s dangerous and puts us on a slippery slope when it comes to the first amendment. Councilmember Lewis congratulating police officers for not killing anyone last night……