A solidarity protest occurred in New York City on Aug. 26 against the construction of “Cop City” in Atlanta, and to voice opposition to the Atlanta police department’s hiring event that day. The demonstration took place outside the New York Hilton hotel, as police recruiters were inside.
Richie Merino at Aug. 26 protest in New York City. WW PHOTO: Sherry Finkelman
Atlanta police came to recruit New Yorkers to become cops to suppress the Stop Cop City movement which opposes the construction of a $90 million police training facility in Atlanta, built over the Weelaunee Forest — a land once inhabited by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation before their forced displacement. The cops label anti-Cop City protesters “outside agitators,” but they are the real “outside agitators” – recruiting people from out of state to help quash the popular movement of tens of thousands of Georgia residents.
The protest was organized by the Weelaunee Defense Society NYC, the Black Alliance for Peace, the Palestinian Youth Movement and Dare to Struggle, bringing together a diverse coalition of groups united in their opposition to the project.
The protesters made their stance clear with chants of “Cop City will never be built!” and “APD out of NYC!,” rejecting not only the construction of the police training facility but also condemning the fascist violence by Georgia State Patrol officers and Atlanta police.
State troopers murdered forest defender Manuel “Tortuguita” Terán in the Weelaunee forest on Jan. 18. (NPR, March 11)
The protest attracted dozens of participants who shared a common goal: to stop the construction of “Cop City” and advocate for alternative approaches to community safety. They faced off with New York City police and carried signs and banners bearing slogans that highlighted their rejection of Atlanta’s “killer cops” and the need for investment in community resources rather than a costly and unnecessary police training facility.
– Story by Richie Merino