Statement from the Anti Police-Terror Project in response to arrest of bail fund organizers in Atlanta protesting Cop City
For immediate release
We are deeply disturbed to learn about the apprehension of three committed bail fund organizers from the Atlanta Solidarity Fund during the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's raid on their headquarters. We strongly condemn these arrests and the subsequent charges leveled against them, which clearly aim to suppress support for protesters and silence dissenting voices.
Over the past two years, Atlanta's organizers and community members have steadfastly opposed the construction of Cop City, a $90 million police training facility. This facility, intended to prepare law enforcement officers for "urban warfare," is planned to be erected on unceded Muscogee territory, resulting in the destruction of a significant portion of the city's vital forest, often referred to as the "lungs of Atlanta."
Three Atlanta Solidarity Fund members now face severe charges, carrying up to 20 years in prison and $500,000 in fines. These arrests would not happen in a free country. These charges emerged following a raid on the bail fund's offices during which laptops, cellphones, and documents were seized. It is evident that the authorities aim to hold organizers supportive of the #StopCopCity movement accountable for over 100 actions across the country in solidarity. This is a deliberate attempt to intimidate opponents, silence dissent, disrupt opposition to #CopCity, dismantle support for the local bail fund and protest infrastructure, and establish a dangerous precedent that could threaten bail funds and other forms of mutual aid nationwide.
We condemn the use of draconian domestic terrorism charges against protesters and the targeted attack on the Atlanta Solidarity Fund. We are issuing the following demands:
We demand that Atlanta and Georgia public officials immediately drop all charges and cease all proceedings against the #StopCopCity protesters.
We strongly oppose any effort to expand the prosecution's dragnet to target other protest support infrastructure and community organizations. Such actions only serve to disrupt the vital work of these groups in advocating for justice and equality.
We call upon Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and the Atlanta City Council to take a stand against the construction of Cop City. We urge them to cancel the lease for this facility, which symbolizes the militarization of the police and the destruction of precious community resources.
We must understand that this fight is not isolated to Atlanta alone. Police officers from various jurisdictions and countries are slated to train at the proposed facility, with intentions to export militarized tactics to repress dissent in their own communities. Some of the investors involved in trying to make Cop City a reality have roots in Oakland, such as Cushman and Wakefield, a real estate firm. The tactics employed by the prosecution serve as a preview of a right-wing blueprint for persecuting protesters and undermining support infrastructure, all while crushing dissent against police power, corporate greed, and environmental destruction.
We stand firmly in solidarity with those facing these unjust charges and the communities fighting against Cop City. We implore everyone to raise their voices against these egregious actions and to support the ongoing struggle to #StopCopCity and #DefendTheDefenders.
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Anti Police-Terror Project is a Black-led, multi-racial, intergenerational coalition that seeks to build a replicable and sustainable model to eradicate police terror in communities of color. We support families surviving police terror in their fight for justice, documenting police abuses and connecting impacted families and community members with resources, legal referrals, and opportunities for healing.