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.
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:
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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