Faith Leaders Lock Themselves to Construction Equipment, Stop Work on Atlanta’s Cop City Project

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 7, 2023

Faith Leaders Lock Themselves to Construction Equipment, Stop Work on Atlanta’s Cop City Project

ATLANTA, GA — On Thursday morning, five people chained themselves to equipment at the construction site of the controversial Cop City project and delivered what they called “The People’s Stop Work Order.” The construction of this project and the destruction of the South River Forest have continued despite over 100,000 Atlanta residents signing a ballot initiative calling for a referendum on the issue. The City of Atlanta has fought the referendum with lawsuits and technical obstructions.

The group that chained themselves to the equipment included two ministers and other people of faith. They held banners that read “Stop Work Now” and “No Cop City.”

“As Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens fights against our right to stop cop city via the ballot, we must continue our struggle to stop the project with direct actions like sit-ins, boycotts, and blockades,” said Ayeola, one of the protesters who chained themselves to the construction equipment. “This movement cannot be won with a ballot alone; we must organize together for mass direct actions if we want to have a chance at protecting our community and saving our planet.”

The movement opposing Cop City has faced overt repression. On Tuesday, Georgia Attorney General Christopher Carr announced indictments against 61 cop city protesters on RICO and money laundering charges. These charges are in addition to the dozens of domestic terrorism charges that have been levied against cop city protesters over the past year. Civil rights groups across the country have condemned the charges, and in June, Dekalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced that her office would not join the State in the prosecution of the domestic terrorism charges, citing a lack of evidence.

“There is a war happening against protesters,” continued Ayeola. “If we don’t stand up for our right to protest now, standing up in the future will be in vain. Cop city is in the process of being built and this can only continue if we allow it.”

Cop City would be the largest police training compound in the United States, and would train police from around the world in militarized tactics. The initial phases of the construction of the facility has already destroyed 85 acres of the South River forest, a critical ecological resource situated in a majority black community. On January 18, Georgia State Police shot and killed Manuel “Totuguita” Terán as they camped in the South River forest to protest Cop City. An independent autopsy found that they had their hands up in the air and were sitting cross-legged when they were killed.

“Despite the repressive tactics of authorities who wish to disenfranchise the community and charge protesters with domestic terrorism and RICO, people of faith will continue to act to resist the militarization of our society,” said Reverend Dave Dunn.