The spirit of resistance to this attack on the right to dissent was evidenced again Sept. 8, as a multinational, multigenerational demonstration gathered outside Carr’s office across the street from the State Capitol.

The Movement to Stop Cop City is fueled by the unabated deaths at the hands of police, including 62-year-old church deacon John Hollman, who was tased to death following a minor traffic accident on Aug. 11, and six deaths in six weeks at the Fulton County Detention Center, the latest being 24-year-old Shawndre Delmore from cardiac arrest (!) on Sept. 3.

These tragedies converged with the continuing pollution of the South River by the clearing of thousands of trees at the Cop City site and the ongoing media lies and political attacks from the Atlanta Police Foundation, intended to whitewash the reactionary and racist purpose of the police-training facility.

  • Justice@lemmygrad.ml
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    43
    ·
    1 year ago

    Everyone fighting Cop City is a hero in my book. Many of us talk big game about changes we want and stuff we want to stop, but these people are actually trying their best to force change they want to see.

    It’s very clear given the EGREGIOUS and bullshit legal charges, beatings, and murder done by the police over this project that they have a singleminded goal of doing this even if they must bulldoze 1000 protestors.

    The legal charges including that absolutely bullshit RICO case show the prosecutors and police are afraid and trying to ward off any further protest. There’s another dynamic at play though that the corrupt shitheads in DA offices and police HQs never consider and that’s public opinion turning against THEM due to excessive, and clearly unwarranted abuse of power including prosecution powers. Normal people can ignore everything in front of them, but when you start going after people for simply running a charity to help pay for bonds, that might start cranking some gears. They’re doing actually full out evil shit and people, I think, are slowly noticing. I’m grateful for and hope to see more protests against the cops down there. The more butthurt they get and the more insane RICO cases they throw against the wall the more they discredit themselves and the mask of civility, which is important to maintain for PR reasons, dissolves to reveal the horrors beneath. I don’t know who will win this battle, the cops seems especially deadset on making this happen, but I’m proud that the community down there isn’t backing down to these thugs in uniform and their corrupt pals in the DA’s office. That takes legitimate courage no matter how you look at it.

        • GaryLeChat@lemmygrad.ml
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          9
          ·
          1 year ago

          Of course not, everyone knows that every vote counts and that votes are the sole source of how elected officials get in power! I personally get the warm fuzzies every time I tick a box on the ballot and say, “fuck the man, I’m voting you out! Take this!”, and then the business backed/incumbent/dynastic candidate wins anyways. I got home and say to myself, well I didn’t vote for them so they’re not legit in my books, despite that making no material difference in their hold on power.

          TL;DR every vote counts, ignore existing power structures and capital interests, nothing to see here! pulls curtain

          Thanks for coming to my TED talk on life in a liberal democracy.

      • Justice@lemmygrad.ml
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        14
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        Maybe in theory.

        In reality the cops are far right wing and the DAs, in almost every case, are also far right wing and pro-cop.

        Why do you think they’re doing exactly what the cops want? Because they are friends.

        This isn’t something you can really fix in a capitalist liberal democracy such as the US. It’s built in. It’s a feature, working as intended. We might not like the way it looks, but I can assure you the real power holders, capitalists, love this. And so do their dupes, the little hoglets who suck the boots of the fascist cops while they kick their teeth in with steel toe boots.

        Anyone elected into that position will inevitably bend towards pro-cop sentiment and pro Cop City. The wealthy and middle class racist white people demand it, capitalists demand it, the cops demand it, and who opposes it? Those with the least power.

        It’s a rigged system and voting can’t fix this shit.

        • library_napper@monyet.cc
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          1 year ago

          Lots of leftist DAs have run (and won) in cities in the past years. They run on pltforms to not prosecute victimless drug “crimes” and on convicting police.

          Many have won since BLM.

          DAs don’t necessarily work for the police. Its an electable position

    • Shrike502@lemmygrad.ml
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      Many of us talk big game about changes we want and stuff we want to stop, but these people are actually trying their best to force change they want to see.

      Honestly - yeah. And they’re risking life and limb going against the pervasive overwatch apparatus, USian punishment system and the most powerful propaganda apparatus in history. All knowing full well the powers that be will use them “to set an example”. The courage these people have is astonishing