[ [link removed] ]350.org

 

 

CW: Police violence

John —

We’re writing to you from Atlanta, where we’ve joined a delegation of
climate activists to learn from on-the-ground organizers about their work
to stop Cop City and defend the Weelaunee Forest.

This experience has given us an understanding of how truly and deeply
intersectional this fight is. We’re up against some of the most powerful
and pernicious forces in the world, which is why we need as many
supporters in this fight as possible. Here’s what you need to know:

What’s Happening —

#StopCopCity is a grassroots movement that has arisen from many years of
Black-led organizing in Atlanta, Georgia. Communities immediately started
organizing when the city announced its plan to build a $90 million police
and military training site in Weelaunee Forest — the largest urban forest
in the United States.

Behind this project is the Atlanta Police Foundation, which is funded by
some of the most powerful companies in the city — including Delta, AT&T,
Home Depot, Bank of America, Chase, and many more.

Construction for this project was greenlit despite community input against
it and after various backroom meetings between former Mayor Keisha Lance
Bottoms, corporate investors, contractors, city council, and other
government officials.

Weelaunee Forest, original land of the Muscogee people is sacred
Indigenous land that holds value for so many. It’s a natural barrier
against climate change and a place where multiracial communities of
Atlanta spend their time biking, walking their dogs, and simply existing.
A local school even started a community garden that has since been
decimated by the police. Urban forests like Weelaunee also hold immense
value for our ecosystem by playing a role in controlling urban heat
effect, air quality, and flooding.

Opposition to Cop City began immediately when the public first became
aware of the project in early 2021. Activists and community members in the
primarily Black neighborhoods surrounding the proposed training center
site began a series of organizing interventions and community events,
including — mass meetings, barbecues, teach-ins, canvassing, and public
outreach by activists and community members. All of these activities have
continued for the entire time of the movement. Firsthand we saw how this
movement is rooted in joy, resistance, and care for people and the land.

One of these forest defenders, an Indigenous queer Venezuelan activist,
Manuel "Tortuguita" Páez Terán, was a true source of light who not only
protested at the camp for months on end, but also raised huge amounts of
mutual aid for the surrounding community. Tragically, Tortuguita was shot
and killed by police during a SWAT raid of the camp.

The mobilization to #StopCopCity rests at the intersection of climate
justice, racial justice, and social justice. It’s a call from frontline
communities in Atlanta to not only protect the Weelaunee Forest, but also
to stand in solidarity with communities of color who suffer the daily
impact of police brutality and corruption at the hands of the institution
of the police. As a movement for climate justice, we stand in solidarity
with the movement calling to defund the police and redirect resources to
community safety. 

[ [link removed] ]There is a lot more to say about this movement, but we recommend
checking out this resource where you can learn even more.

How You Can Take Action —

As we said before, we need as many supporters in this fight as possible.
There are several different ways you can take action, including:

* Coming to Atlanta for the [ [link removed] ]Week of Action, taking place from March
4th—11th.
* Organizing a solidarity action from your home. There are a wide range
of targets you can choose from and actions you can take, including
making calls, flyering, and staging a public protest. You can [ [link removed] ]click
here to learn more.
* Donating to the movement through [ [link removed] ]The Atlanta Solidarity Fund and
the [ [link removed] ]Forest Justice Defense Fund.

Ultimately, there is not one person or entity to blame for this project.
The propellers of Cop City include conservative interests, the gentrifying
middle class, and the web of corporate power. Together, these forces would
create an overpoliced state that does not hesitate to take a life, destroy
the environment, impede on the civil rights of Black and brown
communities, or ignore Indigenous land rights. We can’t overstate how
important this fight is.

We hope you join us in the struggle now, whether it’s here in Atlanta or
at home.

With rage, sadness, and solidarity,

Krystal Two Bulls, Honor the Earth
Skyler Bouyer, Honor the Earth Youth Organizer
Eloise Navarro, 350 PDX
Lisa Demaine, 350 New Hampshire
Evan Fritz, 350 Connecticut
Jeff Ordower, 350.org


 




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