Ahead of Week of Action, Atlanta City Council Votes for Cop City Funding Behind a Formation of Riot Police

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 6, 2023

Ahead of Week of Action, Atlanta City Council Votes for Cop City Funding Behind a Formation of Riot Police

ATLANTA, GA — Yesterday, roughly a thousand community members gathered at City Hall for public comment against legislation authorizing public funds for the highly controversial Cop City project in unincorporated Dekalb County. Public comment delayed the vote until around 4 a.m., after which a super-majority of Atlanta City Council voted to authorize funding for the Cop City project despite overwhelming public opposition. Over 98 percent of public comments, totaling nearly 17 hours, was in opposition.

“The public has the right to determine their community’s destiny,” said Atlanta resident Luke Dorrian. “Our voices have been systematically ignored by an elitist cabal of 11 cowardly, selfish politicians who falsely claim to operate in the interests of the people of this city,” continued Dorrian. “While Cop City is one extremely contentious issue that has brought out widespread dissent across Atlanta and the country, I think we should acknowledge that the Atlanta City Council and other city officials routinely act against the well-being of their constituents. Their policies over the last 3 decades have led to a series of compounding local crises ranging from massive increases in cost of living, systemic inequality, and selective disinvestment, all of which coincide with the rapid militarization of the police and ongoing efforts by both Republicans and Democrats to dismantle democratic safeguards at nearly every level of American government.”

Oren Panovka, member of the Student Coalition to Stop Cop City, says that this vote “betrays the trust of student organizers, community members, and environmentalists who have sought to build relationships with city councilmembers over the last few months.”

In response to community members calling out the city council for neglecting the needs of the community, Councilmember Michael J. Bond asserted that City Council’s responsibility is to be a ‘fiduciary’ for the facilities of the police and law departments, not for public services like transportation and healthcare. Context can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/live/CQK2B_Fo0pU?feature=share at at 6:42:39.

Those united in opposition against Cop City have committed to stop the project regardless of this decision. A national call to action against Cop City enablers Cadence Bank, Nationwide Insurance, and Brassfield & Gorrie has been announced for June 8. Later this month, activists will converge in Atlanta for the 6th Week of Action, June 24 to July 1. “We can repair this world by creating a new one free from police brutality, colonialism, class warfare and white supremacy,” said Indigenous organizer Abundia Tristan. Like many others said yesterday, Cop City will never be built!

Journalists can review the powerful statements and testimonies made by hundreds of community members yesterday on YouTube. The first 10.5 hours of public comment can be accessed at: https://www.youtube.com/live/CQK2B_Fo0pU?feature=share and the remaining footage can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/live/3lhPeAPaAcQ?feature=share.

These are the people of Atlanta, these are their priorities and values, this is what this movement stands for and what City Hall stands against.

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