General – Scenes from the Atlanta Forest

dear m miller buttface, chairman and ceo of brasfield & buttface,

Posted on September 25, 2022 by scenes

dear m miller buttface, chairman and ceo of brasfield & buttface,

as you know, some of your jerkface colleagues have been visited by crowds of attractive noisy rabble rousers during the daytime. we thought you might benefit from a nighttime visit instead. your ugly tacky house @ 54 country club blvd mountain brook, al 35213 caught our attention and we redecorated just a bit… the walls looked better with a little pink so did that creepy statue. the lexus and mercedes in your driveway also screamed poor taste so we splashed them with a gallon of laquer thinner and etched “stop cop city” and a dick with circle A balls into the windshields and driver’s side window. much better! on the driveway we left a message: c u soon. it’s up to you if we make good on this promise… if your dumb company drops the cop city contract then stylish people like us wouldn’t feel so compelled to visit you ever again. if not, we’re looking forward to something even hotter and sexier!

-fey (un)painter’s union

Submitted anonymously over email

Keith Johnson had his dinner interrupted

Posted on September 22, 2022 by scenes

As the sun was setting on August 24th a group of about ten made their way, masked and chanting, down the sleepy side road that leads to Keith Johnson’s house. The low exterior wall to his gated community didn’t slow them down. As they approached an off-duty police officer acting as private security exited the vehicle. After a brief standoff the camo-clad group left, leaving leaflets across the road and lawn.

Ten minutes later a car was pulled over nearby and three people were arrested under suspicion of participation in this peaceful demonstration.

Submitted anonymously over email

Brassfield and Gorrie work site demo in Atlanta

Posted on September 22, 2022 by scenes

Around midday on Friday August 26th about 30-40 people met at a park in the Summerhill neighborhood before marching two blocks to a Brassfirled and Gorrie job site at the corner of Fulton and Hank Aaron Drive, chanting as they approached the building. They quickly piled into the building before the site manager knew what was going on.

The group wandered around the building continuing to chant before a short speech was given, directed at B&G. As the group left, chanting “Will be back”, the site manager (identified by his Brassfiled and Gorrie hard hat) followed them, antagonizing members of the group and filming. As the group left the building a brief scuffle broke out at the doorway. A lone police officer ran up but the crowd stayed together and continued to safely make their way back to the point where they met to disperse. The crowd left before backup arrived.

In the following hour the police made 8 arrests in the surrounding neighborhood under suspicion of participation in this demonstration.

Submitted anonymously over email

Keith Johnson had a noise demo in Springtime

Posted on September 22, 2022 - September 22, 2022 by scenes

How do we tell time? It could have been sometime in May, sometime in Spring, sometime between the 3rd and 4th Week of Action, all of these are correct.

Suffice to say the actual day on the Gregorian Calendar can no longer be recalled by us. However, we are confident that Keith Johnson, the Eastern Regional President of Brassfield and Gorrie, recalls the specific date.

Do you know the Keith Johnson? Who lives on Gordon Combs Rd NW? Specifically at 1268 Gordon Combs Rd NW, Kennesaw, GA 30152?

Well ten or so people do. They came and greeted Mr. Jonhson with smoke bombs, spray paint, and a megaphone. And none of them were arrested.

Mr. Johnson why don’t you just stop Cop City already? Don’t you think your wife Mrs. Johnson would like to be able to relax and not have to deal with people making noise outside your house?

Submitted anonymously over email

Justin Rannick Caught Slippin

Posted on September 21, 2022 - September 22, 2022 by scenes

On the evening of August 24th Justin Rannick was trying to leave his mansion in his car but was surprised by a crowd of 10-20 waiting in the bushes just on the other side of his gated driveway. They chanted and yelled at him for a few minutes before leaving. No arrests were made.

Justin Rannick you have two major faults. One you’re the Division Manager at the Atlanta office of Brassfield and Gorrie who are the general contractor for Cop City. Your second fault is you’re on the board for the Atlanta Police Foundation.

Corporate nepotism aside, work on these faults and stop being involved in the Cop City project. We believe in your ability to improve yourself.

If anyone wants to encourage Justin to make these improvements he lives on a one way street full of mansions at 247 Trenton Lane, Canton, GA 30115.

We’re all rooting for you JR.

Submitted anonymously over email

Defend ATL Forest discussion as a part of Meadow Fest from September 24th to October 2nd.

Posted on September 19, 2022 - September 19, 2022 by scenes

SEPTEMBER 28TH 6PM AT THE MEADOWS! Defend Atlanta Forest / Stop Cop City Tour Presentation In the wake of the 2020 George Floyd rebellion, Atlanta-area officials have planned to build the largest police training compound in the country — by bulldozing the largest urban tree canopy in the country! Meanwhile, film-industry executives plan to clear-cut what remains in order to build “the largest soundstage complex on Earth.”

Join us for an in-depth overview and conversation with on-the-ground activists involved in the historic movement to Stop Cop City and Defend The Atlanta Forest.

Accessibility: The picnic grove is a short walk from the parking lot via a paved pathway with some incline/decline. The picnic area is grassy and/or mulched. Picnic tables and restrooms are available; please bring snacks and water. ADA restrooms are available while the clubhouse is open/staffed.

Location: Meadows Picnic Grove at FDR, 1954 Pattison Ave
Enter the Meadows from the 20th street parking lot by walking west through the community gardens and past the clubhouse.

This event will be a part of many for Meadow Fest. A Gathering to stop the destruction of the Meadows. For the full schedule of events go to: http://savethemeadows.com/events
Submitted anonymously over email

Philly: Graffiti on Fairmount Park Conservancy Signs

Posted on September 17, 2022 by scenes

A few months ago Fairmount Park Conservancy put up 3 4-sided plastic strucures along the trail parallel to MLK BLVD. The signs advertise the park with a website, twitter, QR and IG, and feature a list of shows/activities people can get involved with. Prior to this there were no obvious signs along the trail specifying what the space “was”, who it was being maintained by or what it was for.

Early Friday morning we wrote anti-development, anti-colonization and FDR meadows solidarity graffiti on the structures. We also covered up the QR codes and some of the social media handles. Beyond the message in the graffiti we hope the paint ruins the signs.

These signs, the cutting of trees in Cobbs Creek, the development in FDR Park are all forms of domesticating the land and those who move across it. Domestication runs counter to how we want to relate to spaces, ourselves and each other. We want to live wild lives beyond the control of any authority and for that we need wild spaces.

The development and domestication of wild spaces makes them less hospitable to wildlife, plant life, people wandering and living outside and anyone who wants to enjoy a space in autonomous, unorganized and illegal ways.

We dislike the Fairmount Park Conservancy because we’re not interested in conserving spaces, freezing in time spaces that would otherwise grow and change. Despite their name, the conservancy has a clear objective of designating spaces for certain kinds of activities, for certain kinds of people, in a topdown manner. The clearest example of this is their contribution to the destruction of the FDR meadows.

Development and domestication are inseparable from issues of race, colonization, gentrification and class. Check out https://edgeeffects.net/green-gentrification/ for a way these things interact in spaces outside of residential neighborhoods.

Solidarity with the saboteurs at FDR, Cobbs Creek, the Atlanta Forest and everyone trying to widen the cracks!
This cross-post from Philly Anti-Capitalist was submitted anonymously over email

A Warning

Posted on September 9, 2022 - September 10, 2022 by scenes

To the cops, arborists, contractors, ceo’s, and anyone else who dares to continually endanger the lives and well-being of the forest defenders in the Weelaunee forest alongside their destruction of non-human animal life and plant life:

We know where you live. We are watching you. You should think about that before endangering the lives and well-being of forest defenders. We may not care to be precise as to which exact cop, which exact arborist, which exact construction worker, which company caused the specific harm.
Our actions may even discomfort your loved ones and those close to you and we have no intention of mercy. Your reign of brutalization, control, and terror is accustomed to a quiet passivity that no longer exists. You should not feel safe. We want you to be afraid. We want to hurt you.

copsofcopcity.noblogs.org

Submitted anonymously over email

Construction Machinery Torched in the Atlanta Forest

Posted on September 8, 2022 - September 10, 2022 by scenes

Various construction machines were torched on a property owned by the city Atlanta- Just north of Intrenchment Creek Park, at Key & Bouldercrest.
All further so called ‘Development’ and ‘Improvement’ of the South Atlanta Forest will be resisted.
Solidarity with warriors and saboteurs!
All power to the Defenders of Weelaunee!
Submitted anonymously over email

Solidarity from the PHL FDR Meadows

Posted on August 21, 2022 - August 23, 2022 by scenes

Banners went up in the trees in South Philly’s FDR Meadows, where nearly 200 acres of wetlands and meadows, which serve as habitat for endangered migrating monarch butterflies and many other species of wildlife, are threatened by the city’s plans to bury the earth in astroturf for more sports fields and other capitalist ventures. Public outcry in Philadelphia has already forced the city to compromise on their original plans, but we will accept no compromise in defense of the meadows and monarchs. Solidarity from Philadelphia to Atlanta. We live here.

A banner in a tree reads "PHL to ATL, WE LIVE HERE" with a monarch butterfly in the middle.

A close-up picture of a banner in a tree reads "PHL to ATL, WE LIVE HERE" with a monarch butterfly in the middle.
-Submitted anonymously over email

CrimethInc: Beneath the Concrete, the Forest

Posted on August 9, 2022 - August 11, 2022 by scenes

In Atlanta, Georgia, the city government intends to destroy large swaths of what remains of the South River Forest—also known by the Muskogee name for the river, Weelaunee. In place of one stretch of woods, they aim to build a police training compound; they have sold the neighboring part to Blackhall Studios executive Ryan Millsap, who intends to build a giant soundstage. Yet for more than a year now, activists have protected the forest against their plans. In a previous article, we chronicled how this campaign got started and the strategies that have driven it; in the following collection of narratives, participants in the movement describe their experiences and explain what makes this fight meaningful to them.

The fight to defend the forest brings together locals whose neighborhood will be gentrified by the developments, environmentalists who recognize the importance of the forest in mitigating the impact of climate change, forest defenders who have been occupying the trees for months, abolitionists who oppose the expansion of racist policing in Atlanta, and young people who desperately need a free space to build community outside the high prices and profit imperatives of Atlanta corporate nightlife. These are not discrete issues, but aspects of a coherent whole.

The destruction of the tree canopy and the gentrification of neighborhoods are stages in the same process: the former paves the way for the latter. Forcibly displacing Indigenous peoples, carving up the natural world into private property, burying the fertile earth under concrete, and terrorizing the inhabitants with police violence are all expressions of the same logic. Catastrophic climate change is the large-scale consequence of a series of smaller steps that are no less catastrophic in the lives of individual human beings.

The defense of the forest in Atlanta is only one of many such struggles over land and housing across the continent, including People’s Park in Berkeley, Echo Park in Los Angeles, and the camp defending the UC Townhomes in Philadelphia. As investment capital floods the real estate market, it has become increasingly difficult for to afford housing, let alone maintain collective space in which to experiment and build a common context. These movements have responded by defending a shared space of life and struggle.

Most of the following accounts describe the events of the week of action at the end of July 2022, when people from around Atlanta and other parts of the United States gathered for a week of discussions, protests, and concerts. The week of action culminated with a festival during which DJs, bands, and speakers performed, showing how the forest serves as an autonomous zone beyond the constraints of the capitalist economy.

The forest is not just a particular concentration of trees; we can also understand it as a network of relationships between living creatures of all species. Life flourishes when it is liberated from control. This was palpable in the festival at the conclusion of the week of action. In a club, a breakdown or a breakbeat functions as a kind of lubricant to grease the gears of exploitation, bringing in business and (at best) advancing the career of a particular DJ or band. In a liberated zone, the collective experience of music can signify shared power, the joyous realization of potential, showing how each person’s creativity can contribute to the liberation of all.

The South River Forest is not an old-growth forest. If anything, this makes the movement to defend it more inspiring. This land was already brutalized—yet, given a few years of peace, it became a wilderland capable of sustaining spaces of freedom. Any patch of flowers growing out of the cracks in the concrete could become a forest if we defend it. The possibility of freedom awaits all around and within us, even in the most repressive environments.

The forest—which is to say, the web of life—extends beyond the bounds of any designated park, into each of our bodies. This web is what sustains our lives, not the extraction industries that are currently destroying the basis of existence for countless species.

Two decades ago, the authors of Fighting for Our Lives suggested that “The best reason to be a revolutionary is that it is simply a better way to live.” As state violence accelerates the catastrophes resulting from capitalist industrialism, it may turn out that it is also the only way to live.

Read the full article on CrimethInc: https://crimethinc.com/2022/08/09/beneath-the-concrete-the-forest-accounts-from-the-defense-of-the-atlanta-forest

Philly Graffiti in Solidarity with Welaunee Forest!

Posted on July 30, 2022 - August 4, 2022 by scenes

Graffiti in Solidarity with Welaunee Forest Defenders from the Meadows of Lenapehoking ( South Philly ) for the Week of Action that reads “From Welaunee Forest to the Meadows Defend Mother Earth Without Compromise!”

As our Friends and Comrades are fighting against the “Cop City” that is proposed to destroy the Welaunee Forest in Atlanta, We are connected in struggle here in the Lenni-Lenape meadows of so called “FDR” Park in South Philly. Over 100+ Acres of Meadows that that has rewilded is under threat of development by “astro-turf” sports fields and yuppie tourist shops. A large coalition of over 20+ groups and many autonomous people are resisting and will fight to defend the Meadows without compromise. The whole planet is under attack by colonial capitalist developers and the state and we are on the verge of runaway climate change! We need a global eco-revolution for our collective survival before it’s too late! So Destroy capitalism and the state! WHEREVER YOU ARE REVOLT FOR MOTHER EARTH!
Graffiti on a path made from wooden planks: "FROM WEELAUNEE FOREST TO THE MEADOWS DEFEND MOTHER EARTH WITHOUT COMPROMISE!". Two Circle-A symbols accompany the call.
-Received Anonymously Over Email

Ryan Milsap’s Tow Truck Destroyed in Weelaunee People’s Park

Posted on July 30, 2022 - August 1, 2022 by scenes

A tow truck with "ACAB", "Stop Cop City", and "NO Blackhall" with its windows smashed and propped open sits abandoned in a gravel parking lot.

Two doors from the smashed up truck are used to barricade the entrance to Weelaunee People's Park.

A white tow truck with a smashed windshield and no doors sits in a gravel parking lot surrounded by debris.

A white tow truck with "FUCK U" tagged on it in green paint sits in a gravel parking lot.
Tow truck smashed in ICP lot. Contents redistributed for better use. Thanks for the tools, Ryan!

-Received Anonymously Over Email

Banner Drop in Lenapehoking in Solidarity with the Weelaunee Forest Defenders

Posted on July 29, 2022 by scenes

Here's some video of the radical artwork in Brooklyn showing solidarity with comrades in Atlanta who are fighting to defend the ATL forest & #StopCopCity! pic.twitter.com/Rvx6OgGieV

— Ash J (@AshAgony) July 29, 2022

In solidarity with the week of action to defend the Weelaunee forest, a banner was dropped at Broadway and Havemeyer on occupied Canarsie Lenape Land (so called “Brooklyn NYC”) on Thursday July 28th. It continues to hang there thru Friday afternoon seen by both train-goers and a constant stream of car-users.

The earth and its people will one day be free again! No police, no pipelines, no prisons! Shut Down Rikers! No New Jails.

NYC to ATL❤️‍🔥

-Received Anonymously Over Email

Orlando USA Banner Drop In Solidarity With Forest Defenders

Posted on July 29, 2022 by scenes

In solidarity with forest defenders <3

From Orlando with love and rage! We will carry the spirit of defiance

seen these past months in defense of the wild to the placated streets of

our city. A wild rage has been released, we carry it in our hearts.

The flame burns on!

-1312

ORL to ATL

-Received Anonymously Over Email

DTF Flyers Wheatpasted Throughout The Twin Cities

Posted on July 28, 2022 - July 28, 2022 by scenes

During the fourth week of action to defend the forest, posters were wheat-pasted around several neighborhoods of the Twin Cities.

You can find these posters and more at defendtheatlantaforest.org and making your own wheat-paste is incredibly simple, with recipes easily available online.

-Received Anonymously Over Email

WINNEMUCCA INDIAN COLONY DA REPORT BACK

Posted on July 27, 2022 by scenes

The Winnemucca Indian Colony, on Paiute and Shoshone land in so-called Winnemucca, Nevada, is under attack from self-appointed tribal chairperson Judy Rojo and her crooked council, none of whom even live on the colony or in Nevada. Judy is not recognized by the residents and elders of the Winnemucca Indian Colony. Although the colony was part of a forced removal project intended for “homeless Indians,” Judy Rojo charges the residents rent and began demolishing their homes and forcefully evicting them in November of 2021. The 20 acres of land where the WIC residents live today was purchased in 1928 by the government from the Central Pacific Railway. Many of the elders have lived on this land for decades and are second generation residents. Judy Rojo and her contracted goon, Bob McNichols of REZBuilders, have demolished 8 structures and homes on the colony so far without the consent of the residents.

Judy Rojo has also stolen 320 acres that has ‘legally’ belonged to the Winnemucca Indian Colony since 1918 under colonial law. She is building homes and a tribal building, which has not been approved by the colony residents. On the 320, Judy built and is using the Water Canyon Dispensary to steal and launder millions of dollars from WIC residents. The dispensary is currently expanding to increase their profits. This is a land grab. The identity of the non-native dispensary owner collaborating with Judy to launder money is unknown.

In April of 2022, machines were destroyed and two buildings, the tribal building on the 320 acres, and a deceased elder’s home that Judy seized to turn into a Bureau of Indian Affairs office, burned down, totaling approximately 1.3 million dollars in damages.

Under Judy Rojo, these development projects on the 320 will not benefit the colony residents. The BIA police have been terrorizing, arresting, and physically assaulting elders, residents, and invited protectors since November 2021 when demolition began and before. One officer, Charlie Etheredge, even murdered someone on the Fort McDermitt reservation and gave an invited protector a black eye. Since REZBuilders put up a barbed wire fence around the entire colony, with contracted BIA patrolling as prison guards, reporting to Judy and Bob and referring to them as their bosses, the colony has functionally been a prisoners-of-war camp. Because of the blockade, the residents have often been unable to receive the care and mutual aid they need, including house repairs, medical support, and food donations. Even residents’ families have been barred from entering the colony. BIA arrested elders whose homes have been demolished for trying to return. Currently the elders are being coerced into attending virtual fake hearings in a false court made by Judy and her council.

In response to this violence, the suppliers of Judy’s 320 building projects were targeted. On 7/7/22 Western Nevada Supply Company headquarters in Sparks, NV was vandalized. Multiple project trailers in a supply yard had electrical wires cut, tail lights removed, and messages of: “end contracts with Judy Rojo”, and “stop colonizing Winnemucca” spray-painted in black and red. On 7/8, a similar action occurred against Western Nevada Supply Company in Winnemucca. Bike locks were used around entrances/gates, the door locks filled with super glue, windows were blacked out and a message of “End contracts with Judy Rojo,” was spray-painted. On 7/9, Arnold Machinery in Elko, NV, who supplies some of the heavy equipment to Judy, was vandalized. Windows were blacked out and a message of “End contracts with Judy Rojo,” was spray-painted. Arnold Machinery is likely not the only company supplying heavy equipment to Judy. Attempts were made to smash windows at both Western Nevada Supply Company targets, but be warned, the glass proved to be thick.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of targets carrying out colonization and genocide in so-called Winnemucca, Nevada. If any of the people and companies listed below do not want to be targeted, they can stop colonizing Paiute and Shoshone land.

Judy Rojo

12717 Kumquat Ave

Chino, CA 91710

Other Council (incomplete)

Misty Morning Dawn Rojo-Alvarez

9845 3rd Ave, Hesperia, CA, 92345-3154

Shannon Evans

Merlene Magiera

Eric Magiera

Judy’s legal team (incomplete)

Norberto John Cisneros

1367 Panini Dr, Henderson, NV, 89052-3180

Treva Jean Hearne

8140 W 54th Pl, Arvada, CO, 80002-3514

Bob McNichols/REZBuilders

BobMcNichols@Rezbuilders.com

2175 Seneca Street, Kingman, AZ 86401

Bureau of Indian Affairs offices (incomplete/Nevada only)

311 E Washington St, Carson City, NV, 89701-4065

2719-4 Argent Ave, Elko, NV, 89801

Winnemucca Tribal Council office

595 Humboldt Street, Reno, NV, 89509-1603 (listed on BIA website)

433 West Plum Ln, Reno, NV, 89509 (listed on WIC website)

BIA Officer: Charles David Etheredge

6203 Forest Grove Dr, Fredericksberg, VA 22407-6378

Western Nevada Supply Company (for full list of addresses visit website)

950 South Rock Blvd, Sparks, NV 89431

5445 South Carson Street, Carson City, NV, 89701

1225 Water Street, Elko, NV, 89801

3245 West Potato Rd, Winnemucca, NV 89445

2141 James Ave, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

10990 Industrial Way, Truckee, CA, 96161

Michael White, WNSC Winnemucca branch manager

personal email: philomath101@gmail.com

WNSC email: mwhite@goblueteam.com

Arnold Machinery (incomplete, multiple locations)

4550 E Idaho St, Elko, NV 89801

-Received Anonymously Over Email

2021/2022 list of 1828 Atlanta Police Officers and Recruit names

Posted on July 27, 2022 by scenes

PODATA [list of names here]

copsofcopcity.noblogs.org has updated it’s list of officers and recruits to the most recent and comprehensive list of information. Send more information to copsofcopcity@riseup.net using our pgp key or the submission form found on our blog.

-Recieved Anonymously Over Email

Banner Drop In Minneapolis USA in solidarity with The Week Of Action To Defend The Weelaunee forest

Posted on July 27, 2022 by scenes

To begin the week of action to defend the Weelaunee forest, a banner was dropped over highway 94 in so-called Minneapolis on Monday July 25th. It remained in place for several hours, including the entire evening rush hour.

Stop Cop City! No Hollywood Dystopia!!

-Received Anonymously Over Email

FLOCK SECURITY VEHICLE WINDOWS SMASHED & SCARED OUT OF FOREST

Posted on July 25, 2022 by scenes

This afternoon a Flock Security Vehicle & worker outside the South Atlanta forest was spotted trying to replace one of the cameras they have habitually used to incriminate & incarcerate high volumes of people of color, activists,& struggling working class people.

Rocks were thrown at the van, effectively smashing their windows, & the Flock Security vehicle speedily drove away from the forest in a hurry!

NO Flock security cameras were allowed to be installed or replaced by Flock due to the efforts of forest defenders!

Defending the Forest often means taking risks, & aside from various forms of eco-defense, we will NOT risk allowing the cops to spin the narrative how they see fit, extrapolating & twisting the situation to try and justify their undue violence upon POC, general forest defenders & non-human animals & the LGBTQIA communities!

. *SMASH ALL THE ENEMIES’ WINDOWS WITH ROCKS*.

-Received Anonymously Over Email