DeepSummary
The Stop Cop City movement in Atlanta is a response to the planned construction of a massive police training facility known as Cop City, which activists say will further militarize the police and lead to more violence against communities of color. The movement has faced backlash from city and state officials, who have cracked down on protesters with RICO charges and domestic terrorism charges, even raiding a bail fund organization that supports activists.
The movement has its roots in the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality and racism, which sparked a nationwide reckoning with policing practices. However, instead of reforming the police, some officials have responded by proposing projects like Cop City, which activists see as a doubling down on militarized policing. The movement has brought together diverse groups, including environmental activists concerned about the destruction of the forest where Cop City is planned.
Despite the repression, the Stop Cop City movement has continued to organize and protest, including a referendum effort to let Atlanta residents vote on Cop City. Activists argue that the city has ignored public input and prioritized the interests of corporations and wealthy neighborhoods over the concerns of marginalized communities. The battle over Cop City has become a focal point for broader debates about police accountability and systemic racism.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- The Stop Cop City movement in Atlanta is opposing the construction of a massive police training facility known as Cop City, which activists argue will lead to further militarization of the police and violence against marginalized communities.
- The movement has faced a severe crackdown from city and state authorities, including RICO charges, domestic terrorism charges, and the raiding of a bail fund supporting activists.
- Despite the repression, the Stop Cop City movement has continued to organize protests, including a referendum effort to let Atlanta residents vote on the project.
- The movement has brought together diverse groups, including environmental activists concerned about the destruction of forest land where Cop City is planned.
- The battle over Cop City is part of a broader reckoning with police accountability and systemic racism, with activists arguing that the project is a backlash against the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests.
- Authorities have accused activists of being part of a criminal enterprise, but the movement maintains that it is engaged in peaceful protest and civil disobedience.
- The movement has embraced a diversity of tactics, including direct action and legal challenges, in response to what it sees as unprecedented repression from authorities.
- The host contextualizes the challenges faced by the Stop Cop City movement as part of a natural cycle of social movements, characterized by periods of disillusionment and evolution before regrowth and progress.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “What we saw in 2020, not only in Atlanta, but all across this country, was something that had not been seen before, with people showing up and saying, hey, we are not going to allow this to happen. We are no longer going to just bow down to a police state where you continue to murder us with impunity as a response to that.“ by Keyanna Jones
- “What cop city is, is really their answer to that unprecedented swell of public participation in peaceful protesting, in marches, in rallies. They saw the community speak up and use their voices like they never had before, and they decided that cop city was going to be the way to shut us down.“ by Keyanna Jones
- “This is really clearly a political prosecution. And it's just not accurate. This is really clearly a political prosecution.“ by Devin Franklin
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Episode Information
Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
BestOfTheLeft.com
10/4/23
Air Date 10/3/2023
The Stop Cop City movement in Atlanta is the current tip of the spear of the police accountability movement but the instinct of elected officials to lean into building more and bigger policing facilities is likely to spread as part of the backlash to the backlash against police violence which calls for defunding and redistributing resources to programs that actually help people.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 2: The Struggle to Stop Cop City - On the Nose - Air Date 6-22-23
Joining to discuss Stop Cop City, Micah Herskind, a community organizer and writer; Keyanna Jones, a reverend and organizer; and Josie Duffy Rice, a writer who covers criminal justice.
Ch. 3: Is America becoming Cop City - The Police Accountability Report - Air Date 4-10-23
We went on the ground in Atlanta, GA to find the truth behind the Cop City protests, the police shooting death of Manuel "Tortuguita" Tehran and the dark money funding the creation of the Atlanta Public Safety Center.
Ch. 4: The Struggle to Stop Cop City Part 2 - On the Nose - Air Date 6-22-23
Joining to discuss Stop Cop City, Micah Herskind, a community organizer and writer; Keyanna Jones, a reverend and organizer; and Josie Duffy Rice, a writer who covers criminal justice.
These new and unprecedented arrests are a clear attack on “the infrastructure of the movement,” says Kamau Franklin, founder of the organization Community Movement Builders and a vocal Cop City opponent.
Ch. 6: Stop Cop City with Atlanta DSA - Revolutions Per Minute - Air Date 8-23-23
Tonight we’ll hear from Atlanta DSA member Gabriel Sanchez about the chapter's effort to stop Cop City through a ballot referendum and the terrifying tactics police, the city of Atlanta and the state of Georgia have used to in order to crush opposition.
"They are choosing to use the legal process in an essentially violent way to target protesters," says attorney Devin Franklin with the Southern Center for Human Rights, which is organizing legal representation for the defendants in the case.
Ch. 8: Stop Cop City - Keyanna Jones - Air Date 9-17-23
Sam talks with Keyanna Michelle Jones, an organizer with Community Movement Builders. They discuss the ominous and illegitimate RICO indictments "Cop City" opponents face and the fascist assault on the right to protest there.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Stop Cop City Part 2 - Keyanna Jones - Air Date 9-17-23
Ch. 10: Stop Cop City with Atlanta DSA Part 2 - Revolutions Per Minute - Air Date 8-23-23
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments Final comments on understanding the movement cycle
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:Â
Description: Protesters walking in the street in NYC hold a large banner that says “Stop Cop City: NYC Supports Atlanta Forrest Defenders” with images of trees.
Credit: “36 Stop Cop City” by Felton Davis, Flickr | License: CC BY 4.0 | Changes: Cropped
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Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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