Activists Scale, Shut Down 250-foot Tall Crane at Brasfield & Gorrie Worksite, Demand that Contractor Cuts Ties with Cop City

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 27, 2024

Activists Scale, Shut Down 250-foot Tall Crane at Brasfield & Gorrie Worksite, Demand that Contractor Cuts Ties with Cop City

ATLANTA, GA — On Wednesday morning, two people climbed a construction crane at a Brasfield & Gorrie work site, unfurling a large vertical banner that read “Drop Cop City.” The duo then used reinforced pipes to attach themselves to the ladder system within the frame of the crane, effectively shutting down the machine.

Brasfield & Gorrie is the lead contractor for the Cop City project, and has faced waves of protests and worksite disruptions in recent weeks. On January 29, two people were arrested after attaching themselves to construction equipment at a Brasfield & Gorrie worksite in Midtown Atlanta. Then on March 7, one person was arrested at a similar protest which halted work at another Brasfield & Gorrie site.

“We are just getting started,” said Drop Cop City organizers. “We will keep taking action until Brasfield & Gorrie ends their contract to build Cop City. Mayor Dickens and the City of Atlanta—by blocking the referendum on Cop City— have given residents no other choice but to engage in direct action.”

Both activists who climbed the crane are trans woman, and used the action to highlight recent violence that trans people have faced in Atlanta, and anti-trans legislation moving through the Georgia legislature.

“Just a few weeks ago in Atlanta, Chevy Hill was murdered,” said one of the activists who scaled the crane. “Just a few days ago, Georgia introduced legislation to further restrict access to life-saving medical care for trans children. Every day in the United States, the federal government thieves money from its people to fund its imperialistic, genocidal endeavors in occupied Palestine. In this political moment, we must act now, consolidate our power, and fight for the world we deserve.”

A rally gathered around the work site to support the two people on the crane. People held banners, played music, and chanted, “When the land is under attack, Brasfield & Gorrie stop the contract” and “Drop Cop City.” The action disrupted the Brasfield & Gorrie construction site located at the intersection of 11th Street NW and Bellingrath Ave NW on the Westside of Atlanta.

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