Atlas Technical Project Manager: “Atlas is no longer involved [in Cop City]…because you guys are fucking nightmares and you broke all of our fucking windows”
If Atlas has indeed dropped the contract this marks a huge win for activists. Protest works, direct action works: stay in the streets!
Submitted Anonymously Over Emai
In the wee hours of July 2, with the near-full moon shining, we sabotaged the Bayou Oaks golf course in City Park, New Orleans. We filled holes with concrete, dug into the greens, destroyed golf course property, and left messages of rebellion. We intend this action as direct solidarity with forest defenders in Weelaunee. All power to the forest defenders! Stop Cop City! Stop Cop City everywhere!
The redevelopment of the Bayou Oaks golf course in the aftermath of Katrina was unpopular for many reasons, chief among them the callous destruction of fallow park area, a last vestige for native animals already squeezed by aggressive citywide development. A decade of rewilding since the storm offered a glimpse of a world that has continued to exist in spite of 300 years of apocalypse. We honor the forest defenders who mobilized back in 2015. Although the struggle to defend this wild area inevitably was defeated, we have not forgotten. Like the owls, coyotes and alligators, the cypress, palmettos and oaks, we are part of that world, we are nature defending itself.
Golf courses are abominations against nature, and symbolize our current predicament well: frat bros guzzle cold beers on manufactured turf while our unhoused neighbors stroke out under bridges from ever-intensifying heat waves. To anyone considering similar actions, we will say this: a simple jumped fence was all that stood in our way, and the whole course was ours for the taking. Check your local targets for cameras and find good in/out routes, and that’s it! It was cathartic to be out among the possums and cats, the birds, and the impenetrable swamp waters. We fight for a world that embraces the wild. Fuck the police! Smash fortress USA! From NOLA to ATL, Stop Cop City!
Submitted Anonymously
“Public officials always know they’ll face controversy, but Atlanta City Councilman Jason Winston never imagined what would happen to him and his family after the City Council voted earlier this week to fund the planned public safety training center.”
As some in the crowd chanted and boo’d, three protesters pushed toward a barrier in front of Winston. One tried to jump the dais, cursing him. A second screamed at him, “[expletive] coward!” The journalist George Chidi reported a protestor earlier yelled at Winston, “I’ll catch you outside, [expletive]!”
During the public comment section as part of a larger section of poetry a person said “If I had 57 bullets I could assassinate every member in this chamber with 3 bullets and have 9 left over”
In the days since then, Winston and his wife have been harangued on social media and received death threats over voicemail.
The website shared his address and the home addresses of every other member who voted yes, along with the chilling instruction to protestors, “Make them tremble.” Every member of the city council now has full-time police protection based on the level of the threats against them, and even some of their children.
“It’s shocking,” Winston said. “Just there’s this element of violence that has come out of all of this.”
While he expected to hear some booing and cheering Tuesday morning based on the final outcome, “I did not expect there to be threats of violence, people yelling in our face, trying to jump over the dais to actually physically attack us.”
The council’s decision on Tuesday morning followed months of building controversy over the center. What began as local concerns over environmental impacts and policing ballooned and became a rallying cry for some left-wing activists to not just defund the police, but eliminate police and government altogether.
The two lanes of opposition merged into a single shouting protest that left council members struggling to separate the local activists from the national opportunists.
Winston and others said they understood many of the concerns raised locally and added amendments to the legislation funding the center increase transparency and oversight for the future facility. But the mostly violent rhetoric only intensified. Opposition is now coming from environmentalists, social justice activists, voting rights groups, and more.
“There definitely are some national players who want to go beyond defunding the police, abolitionists and anarchists who are portraying their views onto this.” The anarchists should not be conflated with the other protesters, he said.
He said the open threats to city council members and their families are something he’s never seen.
“I’ve never seen the level of acrimony that was on display in the chamber and in the atrium,” he said. “And it does run completely afoul of ‘the Atlanta way’ that people are used to for protesting.”
Bond said he always responds when he’s criticized at a meeting because his father believed that not responding to accusations is seen by opponents as acquiescing to the charges. But every time he spoke this week, the protestors stood to turn their backs on him.
He said other groups’ failure to condemn the threats of violence and destruction now are doing their own efforts a disservice. As he and others walked into City Hall for the vote, he walked past drum beats and chants of, “If you build it, we will burn it.”
Shipman does not vote on legislation as council president, so hasn’t gotten the worst of the threats. But he said he’s worried about the effect the rhetoric now will have on people considering a run for public office in the future.
“We all want good people in public service and this is a sobering reality that could discourage people from wanting to get involved, especially at the local level. It’s always emotional to be in public office, but this is something else.”
But other other members I spoke with said that hasn’t been the effect on them.
“I want to come from a place of strength,” Winston said. “I’m motivated more than ever to continue doing the work and not letting any of this stop me from doing what I was elected to do.”
-From a local news article
Once again, on April 29, Eugenians took to the streets to protest the development of “Cop City”—the $90 million police training facility in Atlanta, Georgia’s Weelaunee Forest—and the killing of environmental activist [Tortugita] , the first during a protest in modern U.S. history, while defending the forest.
There had previously been a candlelight vigil at the Owen Rose Garden for […] Tortuguita on Jan. 20.
An initial independent autopsy requested by Tortuguita’s family showed that they were likely seated in an upright position with their hands up when many of the shots occurred. This week, the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office’s autopsy report was released showing that Tortuguita did not have gunshot residue on their hands, dispelling law enforcement’s assertions that they were shot at first and then releasing an image of the supposed weapon used.
Tortuguita’s death was ruled a homicide.
The Eugene protest began at 6 p.m. with people slowly arriving at the start point near the 13th & Olive apartment complex.
At the same time, Zachary Caster—a known local right-wing provocateur—arrived and circled the block several times, taking photos of those who gathered.
After about an hour, the group of about 30 began to march. At the front, two banners that read “Stop Cop City, Eugene – Atlanta” and “fuck 12” followed by the group of protesters and capped-off with another banner in honor of Tortuguita. They marched through downtown and chanted phrases including “A-C-A-B, all cops are bastards;” “AK-47, send the cops to piggy heaven;” “viva, viva, Tortuguita;” and “cops kill, trees give life.”
Near the Eugene Library, one man yelled to the crowd “fuck Atlanta, worry about Eugene.” In response, activists tried to explain that what happens in Atlanta can have an impact on what happens here in Oregon.
An example of this is House Bill 2772, a new domestic anti-terrorism bill that is making its way through the Oregon legislature with bipartisan support. If passed, the proposed bill—created to combat the rise of right-wing extremism—could be used to target leftists and, much like in the case of Atlanta, environmental activists and forest defenders.
Not long after the march had begun, an EPD cruiser began tailing the march while others began to block-off side streets and the intersections, leaving the crowd to decide that they could only go forward onto W. Broadway Alley, effectively kettling them in the neighborhood.
From there, the group splintered into many smaller ones going in various directions.
A little while later, DSM caught up with two EPD cruisers following a small group from the march with their lights on to Old Nick’s Pub. There, they surrounded the building for a few minutes prior to leaving.
Originally posted on Double Sided Media
May Day graffiti was done on a settler colonial monument on Lenape Land. It says “May Day means Land Back!” – “Solidarity Means Attack” – “Smash colonialism!” – “Kill cops!” “ACAB” and more!
-Submitted anonymously over email
Today, in honor of Tort and in solidarity with forest defenders in “Atlanta” and everywhere, we put local brokers who work with Nationwide Insurance in so-called “Eugene, Oregon” on notice that they are expected to learn about Cop City and Tortuguita. And that they must take actions to convince Nationwide to stop insuring Cop City and that the insurers must stop sending business to Nationwide.
We embrace a diversity of tactics, today using educational flyers and artwork pasted on their front doors and a brick was gifted to eaxh office to let them know that they have been given a chance todo the right thing. Many thanks to Nationwide for publishing the names and addresses of all associated brokers around this country.
Fuck Nationwide. Fuck insurance. Fuck these bullshit capitalist social constructs. Fuck all cops. Every last one. EUG-to-ATL with love and rage. ¡Tortuguita presente!
Submitted anonymously over email
On the night of April 25, I glued the ATM’s at the Bank of America in East Atlanta Village.
I did this because Bank of America supports the Atlanta Police Foundation.
Every single day, ask yourself how you can attack the APF, donors to the APF, or members of the APF.
Do not be patient. Do not miss opportunities.
Do not for a single moment comfort yourself with the consolation prize.
No more complaining. Now is the time to attack.
-Submitted anonymously over email
On April 24th, demonstrations took place at Emory University, Georgia Tech, Agnes Scott College, Clark Atlanta, Spelman, and Morehouse.
At Georgia Tech, a few dozen of us gathered on Tech Green, an open green space located on campus. A graduate student hosted one of their classes on the Green while we set up tents and gazebos. For several hours, we distributed literature about the movement to defend the Weelaunee forest and to stop Cop City. We also distributed a zine about the 2017 murder of queer anarchist and Pride Alliance student Scout Schultz by GTPD officer Tyler Beck, and the subsequent revolt on campus in the wake of the killing.
Around 5pm, 30 of us marched around the student center chanting “stop Cop City” and “if you build it, we will burn it,” as well as other unique slogans such as “listen up Georgia Tech/Cop City must be wrecked.” The atmosphere was convivial and while nearly all of us were students or alum, we were happy to see a few non-students attend the events. Georgia Tech is not only a university, it is also an arms manufacturer and a real estate speculator. Thus, non-students have every right to take place in on-campus movements. There are no “outside agitators” in this movement.
Campus police positioned themselves outside of every single building we passed, fearing we would enter them and disrupt the economic racket they uphold.
Upon returning to the Green, we erected several tents and began a movie. Throughout the night, police attempted to intimidate us, but we held out strong. We hear that our fellow travelers at Emory did not fair as well, and were encircled by dozens of APD cruisers at 3am.
The struggle against Cop City will not be stopped by the repression, the ongoing clear-cutting of Weelaunee, or the ruthless murder of Tortuguita by Georgia State Patrol. The Dickens government continues to spin confusing narratives and outright lies to dissuade the public from taking bold action to oppose his fascistic plans.
If we cannot establish public spaces on campus to organize and talk, we will be forced to escalate.
To everyone reading this, to students everywhere: don’t stop, spread the resistance.
“Wait-and-see” — a mentality to be avoided at all costs.
– The Impatient
Submitted anonymously over email
On Saturday, March 26, in Sainte-Soline, our comrade S. was hit in the head by an explosive grenade during the demonstration against the basins [a project of large water reservoirs for industrial farm irrigation]. In spite of his critical condition, the prefecture first intentionally prevented emergency services from intervening, then prevented them from transporting him to an appropriate care unit a second time. He is currently in neurosurgical intensive care. At this time, his life hangs by a thread.
The outburst of violence that the demonstrators suffered inflicted hundreds of injuries, including several serious physical injuries, as announced in the various reports available. The 30,000 demonstrators had come with the objective of blocking the construction of the mega-basins of Sainte-Soline, a project of water monopolization carried out by a small number of people for the benefit of a capitalist model that has nothing left to defend but death. The violence of the armed arm of the democratic state is the most striking expression of this.
In response to the window of possibility that the movement against the pension reform has opened, the police are mutilating people and even trying to assassinate people in order to prevent an uprising, to defend the bourgeoisie and its world. Nothing will weaken our determination to put an end to their reign. On Tuesday, March 28 and the following days, let’s strengthen the strikes and blockades, let’s take the streets, for S. and all those from our movements who have been wounded and locked up.
Long live the revolution.
Comrades of S.
PS: If you have any information about the circumstances of the injuries inflicted on S., please contact us at:
We want this communiqué to be spread as widely as possible.
Originally posted on CrimethInc: France: The Movement against the Pension Reform
On March 5th, around 5:30pm, just over 300 people marched to the North Gate, located on Key Road. This is the site of ongoing “erosion control” by Brent Scarborough Company, a subcontractor of Brasfield & Gorrie. In this area, police have staged around-the-clock for over a month, spending $41,500 per day to protect the area from protestors. They have used vehicle headlights and two large floodlights to illuminate the tree line surrounding the powerline cut.
The 300 of us damaged the silt fencing on both the east and west sides of the cut. Using box cutters as well as our hands and feet, we destroyed a high percentage of the work done by the Police Foundation contractors in the past month. That work needs to be re-done in order to meet the standards set by law (a standard we do not know much about, as that is not our primary concern).
We easily pushed police away from the area around the North Gate using just stones and some fireworks. Some people closed the gate while others lobbed stones, fireworks, and Molotov cocktails at officers on the other side, in order to prevent them from rushing in and harming us. Meanwhile, the two floodlights were destroyed. Two UTVs were destroyed. A piece of heavy machinery used to disturb the earth was destroyed. A trailer used as a make-shift office, provided to the Police Foundation by United Rentals, was destroyed. All of the porta potties were overturned. The security gate built inside of this zone, which is affixed with barbed wire at the top, was damaged and partially torn down.
Because of this action, most or all of the work conducted since the murder of Tortuguita was undone. Those assembled used shields to defend against possible police munitions, but there were none. The group dispersed into the woods without a trace. None of us were arrested or detained.
Rest in peace, Tort.
Cop City will never be built.
————–
Post script:
The Molotov cocktails seemed to differ from a classic recipe. This simple tool seemed to be only a small amount of flammable material, such as rubbing alcohol with dish soap added as a thickener, and a small firecracker taped to the side. Made in this way, forest defenders do not depend on the ground to break the bottle, as they would with a typical glass bottle. In the future, maybe this is helpful information for anyone fighting in the forest, desert, or places without a hard surface beneath their feet.
Submitted anonymously over email
A bunch of rabble rousers decided to throw an office lunch party for Atlas (One of the companies tied to the Atlanta Cop City project) in Westminster, CO. We made a shit ton of noise and struck fear into the lone office worker, who immediately ducked back into their locked office door. Tacky wall art was also tastefully updated to keep up with the current times 🙂
Submitted anonymously over email
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article263729833.html
-Received Anonymously Over Email
“BECOME UN-REMOTE-CONTROLLABLE, FUCK BLACKHALL” reads the banner in front of the new tire-and-brush barricade in front of the Remote Control Airfield at Intrenchment Creek Park, where police entered the forest twice this week after barricading the ICP parking lot shut last Friday. The cops gleefully stepped into their role as the hired henchmen of corporate elites, and “closed the park”—which is still legally a public park—at the behest of Blackhall Studios CEO Ryan Millsap, sworn enemy of all things good in this world. The cops put up private property signs which were swiftly taken down, and the cement barricades autonomously swung open.
The time has long passed to choose a side. You are either with the forest or against it. We know where the cops stand, we know where Blackhall Studios stands, and we will no longer let them into these woods without a battle.
OUR WOODS NOT HOLLYWOOD’S! NO HOLLYWOOD DYSTOPIA! FUCK RYAN MILLSAP! FUCK BLACKHALL STUDIOS! BECOME UN-REMOTE-CONTROLLABLE!!!
-Received Anonymously Over Email
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
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
