December 12, 2023: Cop City Atlanta

Cop City is the nickname given to the Atlantic Public Safety Training Center, to be constructed on 85 acres of the Welaunee Forest, sacred ground of the Muskogee, adjacent to a minority neighborhood in Atlanta.  It is a joint project of the city and Atlanta Police Foundation--the city retaining ownership of the land, while the APF operating the center.   Estimated to cost $90M, City officials assert that the center would improve policing, while critics claim the effort will destroy a portion of the urban forest, further militarize police and endanger communities in Atlanta, one of the most surveilled cities in the country.  After 14 hours of public comment against the project, the Atlanta City Council approved $67M in June, 2023 at twice the original estimated cost to the city when it was announced in 2021.

The Stop Cop City movement, a large, diverse group of Atlantans, including churches and environmentalists, has called the approval processes undemocratic.  Hundreds of “forest defenders” have occupied the forest to prevent construction and showed up with shovels to plant trees lost to the first phase of construction; one was killed by police while sitting in a tree.   More than 60 protestors have been arrested and charged with domestic terrorism and RICO (1970 federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization) violations, and three people raising funds to support arrestees were charged with money laundering and charity fraud.  All face the possibility of many years in prison.   

Opponents to Cop City filed petitions with the city to put the construction of Cop City before Atlanta voters.  The city has refused to accept the petitions, claiming illegal procedures were used and a deadline was missed.  A federal district court begins to hear this case on December 14.  

One way to support the Stop Cop City is through donations to the Atlanta Solidarity Fund:  https://atlsolidarity.org and by boycotting sponsors of the project, found at this link:  https://afsc.org/companies-and-foundations-behind-cop-city 

More information can be found at the following links:

The Guardian:  https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/09/cop-city-cost-atlanta-city-council

The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/10/cop-city-atlanta-vote-referendum