direct action – Scenes from the Atlanta Forest

Brassfield & Gorrie Site Attacked

Posted on August 26, 2022 - September 4, 2022 by scenes

Friday, August 26th appeared to be a typical Atlanta morning for general contractor Brasfield & Gorrie’s construction site located at 760 Ralph McGill Blvd NE. Another summer day of building on stolen Muskogee land. There were habitats to destroy, a boutique hotel/ retail/ office building to assemble, a “neighborhood” to be constructed for yuppie gentrifiers.

But when workers attempted to turn on their machines, they encountered problems. Four of their large destruction vehicles had been tampered with. Wires cut, locks glued shut, water valves and exhaust pipes clogged with foam, etc. And written in red paint across the glass walls was a clear message: STOP COP CITY. Some wondered, how could this be? The site undergoes 24 hour surveillance. Maybe they aren’t as invulnerable as they’d like you to think….

Brasfield & Gorrie will not be granted a peaceful morning until the contract is dropped and their colonial violence across both Atlanta and Turtle Island is halted.
Submitted anonymously over email

Alta Vista Office Smashed in NYC

Posted on August 5, 2022 - August 6, 2022 by scenes

Wednesday night the lobby of Cop City contract partner Alta Vista’s 57 West 57th street office in Manhattan received a hail of paint & broken glass in response to ongoing police attacks on forest defenders and devastation of the forest itself. Atlas has hired private security to sit in black SUVs all night outside their Manhattan office at 104 East 25th Street for weeks fearing reprisal for their attempts to destroy Welaunee forest. Collaborators of the Cop City & Blackhall projects will continue to be treated as enemies of Turtle Island & its inhabitants as long as they attempt to build their hellworlds and state aggression continues against forest defenders. From ATL to NYC no cop cities, no hollywood dystopia!

“I hope that everyone can experience the pure joy of attack at least once in their life the way I do. If only you could feel how I feel, everything I do would make sense. The world is a beautiful place, have you seen the moon tonight? Have you stopped and listened to the land?” -F.P.

-Received Anonymously via Email

Georgia Power Truck Windows Smashed

Posted on August 5, 2022 - August 6, 2022 by scenes

Today a Georgia Power white work truck was attacked with various large rocks,& windows smashed driving past the OPF side of forest on Key Rd… Georgia Power was present at the last ULTRA raid with & escorted by police on Wednesday, Aug. 3rd, & they worked in tandem to mow down the luscious berry bushes & native plants in the cut, as well as to (presumably) lend their equipment to APD to utilize for Cop City Construction projects…
Though Georgia Power & APD were met with much resistance from Forest Defenders, Georgia power & police managed to clear cut a medium-substantial part of the north forest mostly west of the powerline cut– laughing like psycho heartless fucks the whole time.
Due to Georgia Power & APD’s continuous violence toward non-human animals & creatures in the forest, we will continue to ensure that it will be VERY HARD for them whenever they try to enter the woods again!
APD & Georgia Power have cast the first stones, felling trees mindlessly & carelessly for a bullshit & racist police training facility, SO– more stones in return they shall receive…
*Defend AND AVENGE the Forest!
-Received anonymously over email

Report Back On The Fight Between Milsap/Dozer/Cops and Forest Defenders

Posted on August 2, 2022 - August 4, 2022 by scenes

On the final day of the fourth week of action, forest defenders awoke to shouts about police activity in the recently reopened Intrenchment Creek/ Weelaunee People’s Park parking lot.

We arrived to find an angry man named Anthony Wayne James sitting in an excavator and threatening to destroy the gazebo, porta potties,paved trails, and to re-close the barriers at the front of the park, effectively re-closing the public infrastructure. A small number of forest defenders blocked the excavator with only their bodies, including a few who remained under the gazebo while it was struck by the excavator bucket.

More forest defenders soon arrived and began to drive back the excavator with rocks and other projectiles. The irate operator had two Dekalb County police officers to back him up, as well as two other men waiting on the street. It was soon revealed that one of those was Ryan Millsap himself. Millsap believes he is the owner of the land in question, after a controversial land-swap agreement between the Dekalb County government and Blackhall Studios sought to give the land over to the film company so that they could develop it into the largest soudnstage complex on Earth. Millsap has since sold much of his holdings in the company in a fashion that nullifies the agreements with the County government and gives, he believes, Millsap personal ownership of the land with few or no obligations to the public.

After a brief interlude, in which forest defenders oriented themselves, the crowd of a few dozen advanced on the attackers. Masked defenders threw rocks at the County police and broke windows out of the truck that was used to carry the excavator in on a flatbed trailer. With the excavator outside the park, a barricade was erected to keep it from re-entering, and volleys of rocks and canned sparkling water kept the police and workers back. Ryan Millsap fled in another vehicle after he was called out by name. When the windows of the excavator were broken, Anthony Wayne James reappeared and repeatedly threatened to shoot all the forest defenders and motioned as if he had a gun several times. Millsap appeared to oversea all of this from a distance. Undeterred by his threats, defenders held the barricades and drove the attackers all the way to the end of the block.

With the immediate threat gone, a search through the truck left in the parking lot revealed a number of contracts for Blackhall Studios, Blackhall Rental Company, Anthony Wayne James drivers license and numerous credit cards. The registration for the vehicle revealed that it was owned personally by Ryan Millsap himself. A great cheer of delight went up after this news was spread, and the mechanic crew stripped the car completely, damaging each and every component of the Ram 5500 that was purchased for $62,500 by Millsap in 2020. The crowd dispersed, having assured the safety of park attendees, and the sanctity of the land. A few hours later, some anonymous individuals burned the truck.

After being held through the morning to ensure no reentry for the police or Millsap and his goons, the barricade was dismantled and the park was open again to the public. By evening, hundreds of people arrived to the forest for the final night of an autonomously organized music festival, passing through the barriers and past the burned-out vehicle, which became something of a public installation and photographic back-drop.

-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

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

“We Will Not Be Intimidated” – statement from a squirrel

Posted on July 22, 2022 by scenes

The continued militarized response to treesitters in the south Atlanta forest shows very blatantly how willing the state is to use violence and intimidation to repress our movements.

To the state we say this “We will not be intimidated.” Your “aggressive posturing” will not scare us away. While you depict us as almost mythical creatures capable of terrifying things, skulking through the woods, we enjoy a world filled with relationships built on trust and intimacies deeper than you can imagine. group meals, music around the fire, real talk, a life richer than most anything to be found in civilization, built with the scraps of your world. There are many of us, with many different analyses, but we hold one thing in common, we have seen what is possible, and we stand in total opposition to this world and its cops. For a world without police or prisons or asylums, a world without gender, a world without civilization

-squirrel

-Received Anonymously Over Email

BEAVERS GNAW DOWN 40 FT WOODEN SURVEILLANCE POLE IN WELAUNEE FOREST installed by APD & City of ATL:

Posted on July 7, 2022 by scenes

…We noticed that police escorted a white work truck with boom lift affiliated with The City of Atlanta to install a very large & approximate 40 foot wooden pole on Key Road near the prison ruins in south Atlanta yesterday, for what appeared to be a high altitude surveillance tower…
Us beavers just so happen to LOVE a good hardwood pole, & will surely gnaw down more if you bring them!
Thanks for the snack APD!
Downed wooden pole on the edge of a forested road
We saved some leftovers for you on the side of the road in what also appears to be a mounting pile of broken surveillance cameras…

In Solidarity with Forest defenders holding it down in the South Atlanta Forest,
The Beaver Gang

-Received Anonymously Over Email

Springfield Massachusetts, Atlas Technical Consultants Office Has Windows Smashed And Vandalized

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

june 15, night, more shattered glass windows and paint at an office of atlas technical consultants. their office located at 73 william franks dr west springfield, massachusetts 01089 was the latest in a spree of similar attacks across the country. so many of their offices have been hit, with many more to come until they drop ties with long engineering and its plans to help build cop city. drop the contract, save weelaunee forest! until then, expect more resistance…

-Received Anonymously Over Email

North Gate Barricaded Shut to Protect Forest from Cops with Chainsaws

Posted on July 1, 2022 by scenes

Barricaded gate with sign that read "Give Up" This last week, barricades were erected to protect the South Atlanta Forest from police incursions with chainsaws.
The north gate was sealed off to the OPF (Old Prison Farm) on Key Rd. with an array of concrete, thick wood, broken glass, & cunning!
To make matters worse for the police, a lovely bucket of shit was chained to the gate as well!
In conjunction, a banner reading, “Give Up,” was aptly placed on the front of the Barricade to rightfully celebrate the WITHDRAWAL of subcontractor Reeves Young from the Cop City project, as well as what appears to be (but not yet confirmed!) Main contactor Brasfield & Gorie.
Barricades will continue to be constructed as long as the South Atlanta Forest is threatened by cops, & in any danger of clear- cutting & the likes to build Cop City.
If the cops keep trying to enter the forest on UTV’s with hopes of terrorizing forest defenders, abusing non-human animals, or killing trees with evil tools, they will be consistently met with treacherous roadblocks…
Consider this your warning, APD.

-Received Anonymously Over Email

More Trees Spiked in the Welaunee Forest

Posted on June 29, 2022 - June 29, 2022 by scenes

Last night we randomly inoculated dozens of trees with steel and ceramic spikes to protect against felling by chainsaw. Signs were posted in English and Spanish to alert workers. This process is harmless to the trees, but poses a serious danger to machinery and workers should they choose to ignore the warnings. Cops have been seen in recent weeks entering the forest with chainsaws, ignoring the stop work order and cutting down trees in an unskilled and dangerous manner at the site of current and former treesits. They should stop.
Since we know the tree-sits ALONE that have been publicized may not prevent logging by themselves, we have taken it upon ourselves to go the extra mile…
“The earth is not dying, it is being killed, and those who are killing it have names and addresses.”–Utah Phillips
The draws of “society” & the “civilized” & ‘developed’ world cannot surpass the sounds of swallows in trees, humming of insects & bees, & the liberation of laying under the starry skies.

-Railroad Workers Union Local 1312

-Received Anonymously Over Email

Kansas City Atlas Construction Office Attacked

Posted on June 13, 2022 - June 13, 2022 by scenes

On 6/12 we smashed every window and door of the Atlas construction office in Kansas City area in solidarity with the Atlanta forest defense. We will continue this path of destruction until cop city is stopped and the forest can exist in peace. Atlas be warned, much more is coming.

Sending love to the forest,
-some anarchists-

-Received anonymously over email

Atlas Technical Branch in Tallahassee Attacked

Posted on June 11, 2022 by scenes

On 6/10, windows were smashed in and graffiti was scrawled all over the entrance of Atlas Technical in Tallahassee at 2528 Barrington Circle under the cover of darkness. We spray painted ‘Stop Cop City, Drop the Contract’ and ‘Fuck 12!’ before breaking the front windows across the building.

We cannot stand idly by while our friends in Atlanta do whatever they can to save the forest. In the face of extinction resistance is everything against the state and their perpetual war towards our spontaneity and community. Solidarity means attack! The worse has yet to come for these pigs and their construction enablers. Nothing can contain us.

Solidarity to those defending the forest. Peace and love from Tallanasty <3

-Received anonymously over email

Church of Michael Keller Regional Pre-Construction Director for Brasfield & Gorrie Visited

Posted on June 6, 2022 - June 6, 2022 by scenes

On June 5th, Pentacost Sunday, a few activists visited the Kairos Church
on Riverside Drive in Atlanta, GA. The occassion of this visit was to
bring awareness to the congregation that their fellow congregant,
Michael Keller, is engaged in unconscionable destruction of His Creation
for his role as Regional Pre-Construction Director in Brasfield &
Gorrie, the general contractor of the Atlanta Police Foundation’s
unpopular “Cop City” project in southeast Atlanta. Michael Keller and
his wife Mary Stansfield Keller appear to be devout believers, which is
why we visited the church with fliers, rather than simply their private
residence at 2325 Dellwood Dr NW, Atlanta Ga. It is our sincere hope
that Michael, with the support of his community, accept responsibility
for the destruction and unjustifiable cycle of harm and police armament
he is helping to construct, in the Cop City project. We are sure that he
will do his best.

We all want a safer community and future. The Cop City is not making
Michael safer, it will not make any of us safer.

Brasfield & Gorrie, please drop the contract with the Atlanta Police
Foundation.

Matthew 18:15-19

“15 “If your brother or sister[b] sins,[c] go and point out their fault,
just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them
over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so
that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three
witnesses.’[d] 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church;
and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would
a pagan or a tax collector.

18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be[e] bound in
heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[f] loosed in heaven.

19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about
anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

-Received anonymously over email

ATLAS office in Columbus, OH smashed up

Posted on June 4, 2022 - June 5, 2022 by scenes

On 6/2/22, we smashed up an ATLAS office in Columbus, OH on 685 grandview ave. Long engineering, a subsidiary of ATLAS, continues to be involved in the Cop City project in Atlanta, recently attempting to show up and destroy the forest. ATLAS/Long Engineering, break all ties with Brasfield and Gorrie and the cop city project or you will face more vandalism and work disruptions.

-Received anonymously over email

A Message From A Tree sitter

Posted on June 3, 2022 - June 3, 2022 by scenes

They destroyed our camp, & sawed one of our platforms apart, but we still got up into same tree in opf near juvy to defend the forest, & we left a message for our oppressors & our tree sitter comrade has issued a statement:

“We are here today to stop the development of a police militarization facility, where police would train in tactics of repression and violence against the civilians of Atlanta. We are here today to stop a beautiful forest from being destroyed, to stop countless animals and plants from being exterminated from this place. Two incredibly important topics are at stake here today. Climate change and police violence are two of the most pressing issues affecting our society today, and they will only worsen if this facility is built. We cannot stand by as we sacrifice humanity’s future for a Cop City.”
-Wish

– Received anonymously over email

BULLDOZER STOPPED IN ATL FOREST BY HORDE OF FOREST DEFENDERS- CALL TO ACTION

Posted on June 2, 2022 - June 5, 2022 by scenes

On June. 2nd, a horde of forest defenders were able to stop a bulldozer on the edge of the woods (that was being escorted by kkkops) from destroying the forest by throwing rocks, deploying fireworks, & shouting scary words!

However, cops are destroying forest defense infrastructure & we need all hands on deck to CONTINUE STOPPING THE CONSTRUCTION of cop city, & allow this scarred forest to heal.

Another tree sit has also gone up in the path our enemies plan to destroy for their racist training facility, & we need help both supporting & defending that zone!

We are welcoming ALL the tactics. Kate Bush flash mob when kkkops arrive? Fuck yeah. Frontline Action to stop machines of destruction? Fuck yeah. Please just get your sweet fucking feral ass down here.

Your house sitting gig & coffee shop job can wait– come occupy the forest, & if you got privilege, use it to throw down, as trees, community members & non-human animals are better than a clear cut lot with a militarized police training center.

The stakes are high & the forest is calling!

Come for the blackberries & community, & stay for the chaos!

Week of Action is June.2nd- till the Forest is safe!

Interested in rolling with Camp Copperhead?Drop a line to:

campcopperhead@proton.me

& We’ll get back to you soon!

– Received anonymously over email

Forest Defenders fire fireworks, throw rocks, and attack construction machine

Posted on June 2, 2022 - June 2, 2022 by scenes

Work stopped today, Thursday June 2, as a group of 10 forest defenders confronted a bulldozer in the forest just west of the juvy today. Forest defenders launched rocks and fireworks, yelling ‘get the fuck out of the woods’ as the machine was attacked. 4-5 workers, likely with Long Engineering, hid behind the bulldozer while one APD officer stood idly with his hands on his hips. Forest defenders retreated into the woods howling. No arrests were made.

We call upon anyone who wants to defend the forest and stop cop city to support the struggle by sowing chaos along the perimeter: plan a slow-moving car caravan on Constitution Rd, or a rally at the juvy.

Workers and pigs, we repeat: Stay the fuck out the woods.

-Received anonymously over email

Video Submission

Posted on June 2, 2022 by scenes

pic.twitter.com/2DlNDD7PEB

— Scenes from the Atlanta Forest (@scenesatl) June 2, 2022

-Received anonymously over email

Erie Pennsylvania Atlas office covered in graffiti and windows smashed

Posted on June 1, 2022 - June 1, 2022 by scenes

Door window smashed and building tagged at the northeast office of Atlas (Atlas Technical Consultants) at 2126 filmore ave in Erie, PA.

Stop cop city! Defend the atlanta forest and forests everywhere.

– Received anonymously over email