1 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 1: Hello, Welcome to week it happened here. This is Garrison. 2 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:10,080 Speaker 1: We're going to be doing a little bit of an 3 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:12,280 Speaker 1: update on some of the things that have been happening 4 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: in Atlanta, Georgia the past few weeks in relation to 5 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:19,240 Speaker 1: the Stop Cop City movement. With me today to help 6 00:00:19,360 --> 00:00:22,960 Speaker 1: help go through the many, many happenings of the past 7 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:25,320 Speaker 1: of the past past few weeks is a Matt from 8 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:26,760 Speaker 1: the Atlantic Community Press Collective. 9 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 2: Hello, Hello, my friend, good to see you. 10 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:33,840 Speaker 1: Yes, last time, last time we talked on the show, 11 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 1: it was during our our very very critically acclaimed comedy episode, 12 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:40,159 Speaker 1: So nice to. 13 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:43,400 Speaker 2: Highlight lighted. 14 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:47,240 Speaker 1: I'm glad you approve. As someone who was on the episode. 15 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:50,279 Speaker 2: I might have been like the target audience for that. 16 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:53,600 Speaker 1: But yeah, there was like there was like four jokes 17 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 1: that only like three people get. But that's all right. 18 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 1: So this is going to be a bit of a 19 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:04,960 Speaker 1: bit of a looser episode because people are preparing for 20 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:07,280 Speaker 1: the week of Action. Uh, there's a lot of a 21 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 1: lot of things in play. It's kind of a lot 22 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:11,679 Speaker 1: of stuff still up in the air. So I don't 23 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 1: I don't have time to put something super super superscripted together. 24 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 1: But many things have happened that are worth talking about, 25 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:21,440 Speaker 1: especially before the week of action. I guess would the 26 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 1: first thing on the docket be to kind of go 27 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 1: over the stuff regarding the extra funding that that the 28 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:34,040 Speaker 1: city seems to be uh be giving towards the Copsity project, 29 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:37,759 Speaker 1: even beyond the thirty three million dollars that was the 30 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:40,039 Speaker 1: that was the target of the city council vote a 31 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:42,640 Speaker 1: few a few days ago. But there's a whole bunch 32 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 1: of extra extra money floating around, as discovered by you 33 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 1: guys at the Atlantic, a Lantic community press collective and 34 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 1: then UH who had had their journalism pretty much by 35 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 1: every other outlet. 36 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 2: They put our name, they put our name in there, 37 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 2: and you know, they get paid and you get paid 38 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 2: in the spotlight, right, that's how that worked. 39 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:10,080 Speaker 1: I'm only paying you an exposure for these episodes exactly, 40 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 1: which isn't true FAI. 41 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:21,800 Speaker 2: But anyway, so yeah, okay, So going back to twenty 42 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 2: twenty one, this conversation started a couple of months after 43 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 2: the lease legislation was sucked. Back then, it was a 44 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 2: conversation about like a fifty five million dollar funding package 45 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:38,000 Speaker 2: between the Atlanta Police Foundation and chief operating officer at 46 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:42,919 Speaker 2: the time John Keene, So that conversation has morerphed over 47 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 2: the last two years, but that the key part of 48 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 2: it was the extra money was going to come from 49 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:51,400 Speaker 2: this lease back agreement. So originally it was going to 50 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 2: be a twenty year, one million dollar a year. We 51 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 2: found out that that is actually a thirty year, one 52 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:01,799 Speaker 2: point two million dollars a year paid for thirty six 53 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:06,240 Speaker 2: million dollars going to the Atlanta Police Foundation. And part 54 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 2: of what they were what they had talked about using 55 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:11,639 Speaker 2: it for in twenty twenty one, was to pay down 56 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:15,040 Speaker 2: this twenty million dollar loan construction loan that the Atlanta 57 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 2: Police Foundation was planning on taking out to build the facility. 58 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 2: So when they were talking about that like sixty million 59 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 2: dollar philanthropic donation, they really they meant or twenty of 60 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 2: that was going to come from from a loan that 61 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:33,640 Speaker 2: the city was going to pay back. So immediately, like 62 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 2: these numbers were skewed from the get go and have 63 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 2: been misleading for the last year and a half. 64 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 1: And I mean part of the original plans for the 65 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:49,160 Speaker 1: cop City project that people are unaware included what like 66 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 1: thirty million dollars of public funds being contributed and the 67 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 1: other sixty million for the first phase was supposed to 68 00:03:56,480 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 1: come via like private funds, with the Land Place Findation 69 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 1: doing like fundraising with via all their big corporate backers, 70 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:08,760 Speaker 1: and then what's happened in the past few months of 71 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:12,560 Speaker 1: them trying to trying to down downscale some of like 72 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:17,360 Speaker 1: the more expensive parts of the plan and like cutting 73 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 1: cutting some of the fat in terms of like the 74 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:21,719 Speaker 1: stables aren't going to be in the same same spot 75 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 1: that they they wanted there to be stables, and other 76 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:29,040 Speaker 1: other small kind of money saving cuts, and then all 77 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:33,039 Speaker 1: this increase in the amount of the project that's just 78 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 1: being funded by taxpayers. It seems like the APS been 79 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:39,520 Speaker 1: not as successful and being able to fund their project 80 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 1: privately as they initially hoped. That's at least my read 81 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:46,400 Speaker 1: from what's from what's going on here. 82 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 2: So maybe not from what they originally hoped, but from 83 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 2: what they originally shows or told us that they were 84 00:04:55,000 --> 00:05:00,159 Speaker 2: going to do. According to the chief financial operator of 85 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:03,159 Speaker 2: the City of Atlanta, Mohammed Bala, he said that the 86 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 2: Atlantic Police Foundation has raised thirty three point four million 87 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 2: dollars in film graphic funds for this which their goal. 88 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 2: Apparently this whole time was only thirty million dollars in 89 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:23,120 Speaker 2: actual funds from corporations and film graphic organizations. 90 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 1: Including the streamer Destiny, who donated I think twenty thousand 91 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:31,200 Speaker 1: dollars to the Atlantic Philly Station, which is a fight, 92 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:34,880 Speaker 1: which is a reference to all of you Internet cells 93 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 1: out there who are also who are also cursed with 94 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 1: this knowledge. Yeah. 95 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:45,159 Speaker 2: So the other interesting thing is is originally ten million 96 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:47,800 Speaker 2: dollars was supposed to come in new market credits, and 97 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 2: we're getting like really into the. 98 00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:51,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, this is finances, and I'm as soon as you 99 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 1: said new market tacks credits part of my raid, just 100 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 1: like shut off, but continue, continue to continue. 101 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 2: Like thirty found and put overview that money is supposed 102 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:07,800 Speaker 2: to go to like revitalizing impowers or like underserved communities. 103 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 2: It's supposed to go to like businesses that want to 104 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 2: like open grocery stores and food deserts and things like that. 105 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 2: So it's not ten million dollars anymore now it's five 106 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:19,040 Speaker 2: million dollars. But it's still going to build a police 107 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:24,839 Speaker 2: training center. And you know, predominantly black neighborhood that is 108 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 2: under the average monthly income. So things got twisted here 109 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 2: that this doesn't seem like a revitalization project that that 110 00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 2: is supposed to improve the lives of the neighbors around it. 111 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:41,559 Speaker 1: So yeah, it's it seems like the the the amount 112 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:44,800 Speaker 1: of funding that they actually are going to end up 113 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:48,400 Speaker 1: receiving from public funds is balloons to be much bigger 114 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:51,560 Speaker 1: than they initially promised. And then project was initially sold on, 115 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:57,440 Speaker 1: which is just another another another thing in the long 116 00:06:57,520 --> 00:07:00,840 Speaker 1: line of of of APF moments. 117 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:05,960 Speaker 2: So this entire time, the deputy Chief Operating Officer for 118 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:09,040 Speaker 2: the City of Atlanta, le Chandra Burks, she has been 119 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:13,240 Speaker 2: playing quarterback for the finance conversation, and she was part 120 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:19,880 Speaker 2: of the finance conversation the way back in, so somebody 121 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 2: she's she's in the mayor's cabinet and like she's privy 122 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 2: to these conversations. So the entire time like this is happening, 123 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:30,440 Speaker 2: Andre Dickens is still like out in the press repeating 124 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:34,000 Speaker 2: this thirty million dollar number, like tells it to Rose Scott, 125 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:38,840 Speaker 2: who's a basically our our NPR like person here. He 126 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:42,160 Speaker 2: tells it to the AJAC, the paper of record, and 127 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:45,400 Speaker 2: says that it's gonna be thirty million dollars if it 128 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:47,400 Speaker 2: goes over it's gonna it's gonna come out of the 129 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:51,119 Speaker 2: Atlanta Police Foundation. And then of course you know his 130 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:53,840 Speaker 2: his cabinet is having conversations about way more money. 131 00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:57,120 Speaker 1: This entire well, do you know who else cares a 132 00:07:57,120 --> 00:07:57,840 Speaker 1: lot about money? 133 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:03,960 Speaker 2: The products, since services, services, the pros, the products. 134 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:06,280 Speaker 1: Services really really do want your money. And now also 135 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 1: the the Sophie is poking me to tell you the 136 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:13,560 Speaker 1: apthel premium subscription option. Also, here's a lot about your money. Uh, 137 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 1: and Android version launching shortly. Anyway, here's some ads. Okay, 138 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:31,480 Speaker 1: we are back. We're gonna talk about another another another 139 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:37,360 Speaker 1: good uh. Staying on the topic of of of stealing 140 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:39,240 Speaker 1: your money and using it for purposes that it's probably 141 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:43,359 Speaker 1: not very good. Let's talk about let's talk about the 142 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:47,520 Speaker 1: the the two Atlanta City Council meetings that happened. One 143 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:49,680 Speaker 1: was during late May, right, that was the first one 144 00:08:49,679 --> 00:08:52,559 Speaker 1: with public comment. That was like people were being public 145 00:08:52,559 --> 00:08:55,959 Speaker 1: comment for like seven hours. That lasted quite a while. 146 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:58,080 Speaker 1: It was it was a pretty pretty long day. And 147 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:01,120 Speaker 1: then on the then during the meeting on June fifth, 148 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:02,720 Speaker 1: was even longer. 149 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:03,600 Speaker 2: Like, how. 150 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:07,920 Speaker 1: Late were you at city Council on June fifth? 151 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:12,600 Speaker 2: All right, Well, on May fifteenth, the first city council 152 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:15,240 Speaker 2: meeting one where we kind of like we're like, hey, 153 00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:17,640 Speaker 2: this this is going to come up for vote, so 154 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:21,160 Speaker 2: and then organizers you know, got everyone to show up. Yeah, 155 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:23,440 Speaker 2: so about seven and a half hours of public comments 156 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:26,760 Speaker 2: that night city council meeting ended up like like eleven o'clock, 157 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:31,600 Speaker 2: and then there was a meeting, the Finance Executive Committee 158 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:35,360 Speaker 2: meeting in between that had about two hours of public comment, 159 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:39,040 Speaker 2: which for a subcommittee meeting is a lot. And then 160 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:44,120 Speaker 2: all of that, every like record was blown out of 161 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:50,160 Speaker 2: the water on June fifth, where we had just just 162 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:53,560 Speaker 2: over fourteen hours of public comment. That includes like breaks 163 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:56,679 Speaker 2: for disruption and like a ten minute break that the 164 00:09:56,720 --> 00:09:59,959 Speaker 2: city Council took, and then a lot of arguing between 165 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:02,319 Speaker 2: Doug Ship and the city couple of president trying to 166 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:06,000 Speaker 2: help people down. But you know, overall, it was fourteen 167 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:08,960 Speaker 2: and a half hours of just public comment, which is 168 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:12,640 Speaker 2: the largest public com in person public comment session that 169 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:19,559 Speaker 2: is in modern history. Yeah, and it was basically unanimous. 170 00:10:19,559 --> 00:10:22,320 Speaker 2: There were there were four speakers who got up pretty 171 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:27,960 Speaker 2: early who were in favor of the training center, and 172 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:31,000 Speaker 2: then everyone else was anti cop city. 173 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:35,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, did I remember remember seeing some things about like 174 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:39,240 Speaker 1: APF police departments trying to like trying to push people 175 00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:40,720 Speaker 1: through to give public comment. 176 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:43,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, so there was a rumor going around that the 177 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:47,160 Speaker 2: Atlanta Police Foundation and the Mayor's office were trying to 178 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:49,120 Speaker 2: get fifty people. There was like this number, it was 179 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:53,440 Speaker 2: like fifty people. I never saw anything to back them up, 180 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:57,320 Speaker 2: but they did seem like the four people who showed 181 00:10:57,400 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 2: up were kind of coordinated and you know, like one 182 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:03,240 Speaker 2: of them brought their kids, which the stop op city 183 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:05,920 Speaker 2: side does the same thing. So sure did seem to 184 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 2: be some like intentional. 185 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:11,480 Speaker 1: Parallels, but what was not parallel was just the sheer 186 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:14,840 Speaker 1: number of people on the different sides. It was. 187 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 2: I don't think anybody who's in favor of the facility 188 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:22,440 Speaker 2: is like going to wait fourteen hours to talk for 189 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:26,920 Speaker 2: two minutes. Yeah, that's just not going to happen. And 190 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:30,320 Speaker 2: you know, the Atlanta Police Foundation hasn't shown up to 191 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:34,360 Speaker 2: defend the facility in since twenty twenty one, and like 192 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:36,040 Speaker 2: they're the most invested. 193 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:38,840 Speaker 1: Yeah it is. It is striking the amount of which 194 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:42,720 Speaker 1: their work on it is just so much like backdoor lobbying, 195 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 1: and they really have never had to defend the project, 196 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 1: like publicly and openly. It's it's all, it's all just 197 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:54,760 Speaker 1: these these these back backer meetings between city council members, 198 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:57,920 Speaker 1: between people, people in the air's office, between people and 199 00:11:57,960 --> 00:11:58,720 Speaker 1: the police department. 200 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:03,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, the Atlantic Foundation lobbyist was actually running around uh 201 00:12:03,760 --> 00:12:05,319 Speaker 2: city Hall on juth it. 202 00:12:06,080 --> 00:12:09,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, not surprising. So I feel like most if people 203 00:12:09,679 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 1: are online, they probably heard the result of the vote 204 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:17,640 Speaker 1: after fourteen hours of public common which was almost like 205 00:12:17,800 --> 00:12:23,559 Speaker 1: unanimously against the facility. What was it of four to eleven. 206 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:26,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, four votes against eleven in favor. 207 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:30,760 Speaker 1: So they they passed the funding package, allocating at least 208 00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:34,920 Speaker 1: the thirty three million plus the future loans. 209 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:36,560 Speaker 2: The least back agreement. 210 00:12:36,679 --> 00:12:37,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, yes, the. 211 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:43,240 Speaker 2: Thirty one million plus the least back. Okay, we're not 212 00:12:43,240 --> 00:12:44,320 Speaker 2: going to get more deep than. 213 00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:50,280 Speaker 1: That, Okay, but yes, it was it was like what 214 00:12:50,280 --> 00:12:54,679 Speaker 1: what time was? That was like four am? At thirty 215 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:56,560 Speaker 1: Jesus As. 216 00:12:56,520 --> 00:12:59,080 Speaker 2: I got there, there was a Young Democrat like thing 217 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:02,400 Speaker 2: against There was a press conference with the Young Democrats 218 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:04,360 Speaker 2: of the already coming out against cup City at eight am. 219 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:07,040 Speaker 2: So I was there at seven thirty. I left City 220 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:12,719 Speaker 2: Hall at six thirty. That was the wildest game. 221 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:18,200 Speaker 1: So so after probably the longest city council meeting day 222 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:19,040 Speaker 1: in quite a while. 223 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:23,600 Speaker 2: They in history, in history, for sure, in history. They 224 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:24,959 Speaker 2: single day. 225 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:29,360 Speaker 1: They voted to approve the funding, which I mean, I 226 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:31,960 Speaker 1: don't know, I think I wasn't I was not surprised. 227 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:37,600 Speaker 1: I wasn't surprised, but I was disappointed as as a 228 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:39,120 Speaker 1: as a as a parent would say. 229 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:41,200 Speaker 2: I want to point out a couple of things that 230 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:45,959 Speaker 2: they did in preparation, So I think city council was 231 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:48,920 Speaker 2: prepared for like an action or a Hegler's veto, and 232 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:53,120 Speaker 2: they had two moves to kind of neutralize them. The 233 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:56,000 Speaker 2: first is they moved the actual vote on this to 234 00:13:56,160 --> 00:13:59,240 Speaker 2: the very last thing, So the vote on the funding 235 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:02,200 Speaker 2: came at the end of the meeting, so if you 236 00:14:02,240 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 2: know there was an attempt to stop the vote itself, 237 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:08,440 Speaker 2: it wouldn't have affected any city business before that. And 238 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:11,520 Speaker 2: then they also prepared a committee room so that if 239 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:13,800 Speaker 2: you know, things got rowdy or there was some sort 240 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:16,440 Speaker 2: of direct action in the chambers itself, they were just 241 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:19,360 Speaker 2: going to take the council and physically move them to 242 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:23,360 Speaker 2: a different room and let people continue to demonstrate in 243 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:28,680 Speaker 2: city councils. So I think they were they they made 244 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:30,880 Speaker 2: some wise moves on bare ends to prepare. 245 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:37,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, and they loaded the chamber with the cops before 246 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:40,600 Speaker 1: the vote. I know, back like during the afternoon, they 247 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:44,080 Speaker 1: were setting up kind of barricades and staging around city Hall. 248 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:46,480 Speaker 1: I mean, it just seemed to be a lot of 249 00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:52,720 Speaker 1: like eretic euretic stuff happening around, did not. I mean, yeah, 250 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:55,280 Speaker 1: I mean I was unsure what was going to happen myself. 251 00:14:55,320 --> 00:14:57,800 Speaker 1: I didn't know how how it would play out, what 252 00:14:57,800 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 1: what tax people will try to employ. It seemed like 253 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:02,840 Speaker 1: people mostly tried to kind of like go buy the 254 00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:05,320 Speaker 1: book there and see how far that would get. And 255 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:08,800 Speaker 1: then if the result was like what we got, then 256 00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:11,640 Speaker 1: other other things will happen in these next few months, 257 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:15,760 Speaker 1: especially with a week of action coming up. So, yeah, 258 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 1: do you think people on that like what did people 259 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 1: on the ground think, Like, did did they think that 260 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:24,320 Speaker 1: that the vote would go through? Do they think the 261 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:25,200 Speaker 1: vote would be stopped? 262 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:25,560 Speaker 2: I met? 263 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:27,720 Speaker 1: I am, I am kind of It's it's been it's 264 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:29,920 Speaker 1: been it's been a little little over a month since 265 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:32,320 Speaker 1: I've been in Atlanta, And I think that the mood 266 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:35,560 Speaker 1: on the ground fluctuates so quickly often. 267 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:38,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, And I think it's you know, kind of dependent 268 00:15:38,880 --> 00:15:43,120 Speaker 2: upon which segment of the movement we're talking about. There's 269 00:15:43,160 --> 00:15:46,120 Speaker 2: there's obviously full sections of the movement that that are 270 00:15:47,800 --> 00:15:51,360 Speaker 2: opposed to electoralism. They still showed up, like they still 271 00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:54,240 Speaker 2: you know, came and gave public comment, and I feel 272 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:57,600 Speaker 2: like they they didn't expect that this would go any 273 00:15:57,600 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 2: other way. There's more like electorally plugged in groups that there. 274 00:16:04,520 --> 00:16:07,000 Speaker 2: You know, there was a slim chance of this thing 275 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:09,200 Speaker 2: getting sent back to committee, and that was the closest 276 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:16,000 Speaker 2: that uh, this had to not going through city council. 277 00:16:16,400 --> 00:16:19,320 Speaker 2: You know, the kind of the whip count that that 278 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:22,000 Speaker 2: we learned was if it if it came to a 279 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:24,640 Speaker 2: straight up or downvote, it was always going to go through. 280 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:28,000 Speaker 2: It's never the numbers to do anything else. Yeah, So 281 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:31,600 Speaker 2: there was some lobbying happening behind the scenes that uh, 282 00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:36,560 Speaker 2: with student organizers and various other organizers who are more 283 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:43,080 Speaker 2: prone to having these these discussions, especially with elected officials. 284 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:45,200 Speaker 2: So there was bobbying for the tickets sent back to 285 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:49,160 Speaker 2: community to committee where it would be held and hopefully 286 00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:54,400 Speaker 2: delay the actual funding and mess up if you have 287 00:16:54,520 --> 00:17:00,480 Speaker 2: slumming mechanism. But that didn't happen. So there are people 288 00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:03,560 Speaker 2: who are hopeful, Like even I was, you know, I 289 00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:07,600 Speaker 2: said that this was the closest electorally that we'd never 290 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:11,159 Speaker 2: come to stopping it. I you know, just kind of 291 00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:15,239 Speaker 2: knowing how the whip count changed over the course of 292 00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:20,000 Speaker 2: like forty eight hours. It got close, and then then 293 00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:20,800 Speaker 2: it got taken away. 294 00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:21,199 Speaker 1: Uh. 295 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:25,280 Speaker 2: Adrey Dickens called city council members into his office Monday 296 00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:27,280 Speaker 2: morning and started feeling them all. 297 00:17:28,359 --> 00:17:33,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, I mean and this was never going to 298 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:34,919 Speaker 1: be the end of the movement by any means. There 299 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:37,480 Speaker 1: was already plans for things afterwards, like the Week of 300 00:17:37,520 --> 00:17:40,800 Speaker 1: Action at the end of June here, and I guess 301 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:42,760 Speaker 1: we can we can talk about how some of the 302 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:46,600 Speaker 1: ways the movement might continue going forward after after these 303 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:50,399 Speaker 1: these these messages from our our lovely sponsors who endorse 304 00:17:50,440 --> 00:18:03,359 Speaker 1: everything we're saying. Thank you, Ronald Reagan, I know you 305 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:05,920 Speaker 1: agree with me on this, So we're back. 306 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:09,720 Speaker 2: Like ghost it's crazy, yeah, I. 307 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:13,119 Speaker 1: Mean most people don't. So as if you're part of 308 00:18:13,119 --> 00:18:15,800 Speaker 1: like gold, yeah, exactly, if you're part of the ghost 309 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:17,879 Speaker 1: on the community, there is there is a few types 310 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:21,959 Speaker 1: of ghosts who actually really like bargaining material possessions. If 311 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:24,080 Speaker 1: they're able to give away enough of their stuff, their 312 00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:27,080 Speaker 1: souls able to actually transcend to the next level and 313 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:30,040 Speaker 1: go to a more safe, like a more RESTful place. 314 00:18:30,119 --> 00:18:32,440 Speaker 1: So these are people who've been too materially driven on Earth. 315 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:34,240 Speaker 1: Their soul gets trapped in that. So they have to 316 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:36,200 Speaker 1: have to make sure that they get rid of their 317 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:40,120 Speaker 1: gold in orders to them to go to their next place, 318 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:44,520 Speaker 1: whether that's like, that's like a safer version of Limbo, Paradise, Heaven, hell, whatever. 319 00:18:45,160 --> 00:18:46,560 Speaker 2: So yeah, I waiting for you to move here so 320 00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:47,520 Speaker 2: I can learn more about this. 321 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:50,120 Speaker 1: I was just making all of that up on the fly. 322 00:18:51,040 --> 00:18:55,800 Speaker 1: So let's talk about what's gonna happen next. Obviously, there 323 00:18:55,880 --> 00:18:58,680 Speaker 1: was a week of action planned for June twenty fourth 324 00:18:58,680 --> 00:19:02,360 Speaker 1: to July first, which is going to be a very 325 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:08,840 Speaker 1: hot week. So there's that. To my understanding, in Trench 326 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:11,000 Speaker 1: Creek and Trenchman Creek Park is still closed. 327 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:14,040 Speaker 2: Correct, So in Trench Creek Park is still closed. There 328 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:19,480 Speaker 2: is there is a motion or there's some legislation in 329 00:19:19,520 --> 00:19:23,080 Speaker 2: the Thecab County Border Commissioners that is supposed to come 330 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:27,199 Speaker 2: up again on Tuesday. The CEO's office asked for like 331 00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:30,840 Speaker 2: thirty days to finish cleaning up the park. So the 332 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:34,840 Speaker 2: thirty days will expire Monday, and then there's a Border 333 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:39,680 Speaker 2: Commissioners meeting on Tuesday. After that, they hopefully the park 334 00:19:39,760 --> 00:19:41,240 Speaker 2: is open, but we'll see. 335 00:19:41,119 --> 00:19:44,000 Speaker 1: So it may or may not be open. That is 336 00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:49,080 Speaker 1: still park that is still to be determined. I've heard 337 00:19:49,080 --> 00:19:52,439 Speaker 1: there will be another music festival of some sort, not 338 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:57,200 Speaker 1: many details as of the time of recording, so we 339 00:19:57,600 --> 00:19:59,320 Speaker 1: we knew that was going to happen. I talked about 340 00:19:59,359 --> 00:20:03,080 Speaker 1: this during during the Week of Action retrospective episode, which 341 00:20:03,119 --> 00:20:05,800 Speaker 1: honestly is still pretty applicable here in terms of the 342 00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:08,120 Speaker 1: amount of destruction that's happened in the forest and how 343 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:12,560 Speaker 1: people are thinking about ways to continue resistance in the 344 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:17,000 Speaker 1: face of not again. I'm against the binary of like 345 00:20:17,119 --> 00:20:19,040 Speaker 1: victory and defeat. I think that's not a useful way 346 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:22,600 Speaker 1: of looking at this situation at this point. But you're 347 00:20:23,280 --> 00:20:25,920 Speaker 1: they're kind of looking down like the barrel of something now, 348 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:29,679 Speaker 1: being like a lot of the land's been cleared, a 349 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:33,959 Speaker 1: lot of the trees have been cut. Preconstruction is ongoing. 350 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:37,520 Speaker 1: Construction is scheduled for this summer. They just got approved 351 00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:40,000 Speaker 1: for all the city funding, right like things are in motion. 352 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:42,439 Speaker 1: So the ways that people are going to choose to 353 00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:44,760 Speaker 1: resist now might be different in the ways that they 354 00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:46,720 Speaker 1: chose to resist like a year or two ago, because 355 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:50,119 Speaker 1: it's just a very different, very different situation. There's a 356 00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:53,320 Speaker 1: different risk level, there's a lot of more surveillance around 357 00:20:53,359 --> 00:20:56,919 Speaker 1: the forest, there's a lot more surveillance outside the forest. 358 00:20:57,600 --> 00:20:59,399 Speaker 1: It's just it's just a very different scenario. So I 359 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:02,520 Speaker 1: think if uh, the retrospective episode still contains a few 360 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:06,720 Speaker 1: things about how how sistance might might take forms during 361 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:09,600 Speaker 1: these next few weeks. But there's this this this other 362 00:21:09,720 --> 00:21:11,920 Speaker 1: thing that came up after the city council meeting, which 363 00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:15,080 Speaker 1: is the referendum that some people are planning. Uh, do 364 00:21:15,119 --> 00:21:17,800 Speaker 1: you want to go over a little bit of those details. 365 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:21,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, So a lot of people or I've seen kind 366 00:21:21,119 --> 00:21:22,760 Speaker 2: of on Twitter where a lot of people are like, oh, 367 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:25,520 Speaker 2: the referendum is just coming out and rise to the 368 00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:27,919 Speaker 2: city council vote, and like, no, this has been in 369 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:30,920 Speaker 2: the works for a little while. Okay, to my knowledge, 370 00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:33,240 Speaker 2: it dates I mean I know it dates back to 371 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:37,920 Speaker 2: before even the funding question was was in place, so 372 00:21:38,240 --> 00:21:40,439 Speaker 2: it's been in the works for a minute. And then 373 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:45,120 Speaker 2: they decided to hold off until after the city, so 374 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:47,640 Speaker 2: we're probably going to do it regardless of the city. 375 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:53,359 Speaker 2: But the referendum there there is there's a spaceport that 376 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:57,240 Speaker 2: was supposed to be built in South Georgia and basically 377 00:21:57,280 --> 00:22:02,280 Speaker 2: this one woman like started at random question and got 378 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:07,680 Speaker 2: this spaceboard canceled. Of course, we're talking very different like municipalities. 379 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:10,199 Speaker 2: That was a much smaller one. She only had to 380 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:14,240 Speaker 2: collect fourteen hundred signatures or something like that. But there's 381 00:22:14,280 --> 00:22:19,440 Speaker 2: a referendum question that is in front of the municipal 382 00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:21,959 Speaker 2: clerk to kind of sign off on it and make 383 00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:25,640 Speaker 2: sure that it is properly worded and all these things 384 00:22:25,840 --> 00:22:30,400 Speaker 2: like just to administrate issue at this Once the clerk 385 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:34,720 Speaker 2: signs off on it, then these organizers have sixty days 386 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:38,560 Speaker 2: to collect seventy five thousand. The number they actually need 387 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:41,080 Speaker 2: is just over seventy thousand, but they're collecting a little 388 00:22:41,080 --> 00:22:44,480 Speaker 2: extra because these signatures will be challenged, you know, things 389 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:49,200 Speaker 2: like that with a vote. If they're successful in doing so, 390 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:52,399 Speaker 2: it goes to city council who again as in the 391 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:57,040 Speaker 2: administrative position, has to all the signatures, make sure everything 392 00:22:57,320 --> 00:23:02,200 Speaker 2: you know is official and then and if once that passes, 393 00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:08,000 Speaker 2: then it goes automatically on the November seventh, and then 394 00:23:08,040 --> 00:23:10,080 Speaker 2: it will be a straight up or down question of 395 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:13,320 Speaker 2: do we cancel this twenty twenty one, least to the 396 00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:20,760 Speaker 2: Atlanta Police. But there are a couple where this comes in. 397 00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:25,280 Speaker 2: I think most interestingly is the organizers of this believe 398 00:23:25,359 --> 00:23:32,000 Speaker 2: that they can get an injunction to stop construction both 399 00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:36,520 Speaker 2: now once the referendum campaign kicks off, and then if 400 00:23:36,520 --> 00:23:40,720 Speaker 2: they collect the seventy thousand signatures again until November seventh, 401 00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:45,639 Speaker 2: So this could significantly delay the Beneflete Foundation's ability to 402 00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:48,280 Speaker 2: continue destruction on the land. And like, right now we 403 00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:51,160 Speaker 2: are in the mass grating days of this project, which 404 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:55,280 Speaker 2: is the most environmentally damaging part of it. Now we're 405 00:23:55,600 --> 00:24:01,320 Speaker 2: we're screwing with the contours of the land. So you know, 406 00:24:01,359 --> 00:24:03,720 Speaker 2: they're going to have to prove that they're serious about 407 00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:05,560 Speaker 2: the referendum, and the judge is going to have to 408 00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:09,240 Speaker 2: believe that the referendum is at least likely to succeed 409 00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:13,720 Speaker 2: in order to get this injunction. But it does look 410 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:16,040 Speaker 2: like they should be able to prove at least that 411 00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:18,159 Speaker 2: they are serious and there is a good chance of 412 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:18,800 Speaker 2: the succeeding. 413 00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:21,680 Speaker 1: How soon do people have to start like doing stuff 414 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:21,919 Speaker 1: for that. 415 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:26,320 Speaker 2: So the referendum once the clerk signs off on the paperwork, 416 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:31,800 Speaker 2: and that the clerk has seven days to validate, and 417 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:34,399 Speaker 2: then once that spends, you have the sixty days. So 418 00:24:34,760 --> 00:24:37,359 Speaker 2: we're in this kind of interim period where they can't 419 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:41,720 Speaker 2: start collecting signatures, but as soon as the clerk signs 420 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:44,879 Speaker 2: off on it, they will start collecting signatures. So they 421 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:47,960 Speaker 2: anticipate the clerk to like kind of try to hold 422 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:51,679 Speaker 2: off as long as possible. So they're looking at Wednesday, 423 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:56,399 Speaker 2: which I'm going to look at my calendar because you 424 00:24:56,440 --> 00:25:01,280 Speaker 2: know exactly what that. So they're looking at Wednesday the 425 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:07,800 Speaker 2: fourteenth as the kickoff for the signature collecting camp. So 426 00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:11,680 Speaker 2: for more information about the referendum campaign or to find 427 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:14,359 Speaker 2: ways to volunteer, or if you are an Atlanta resident 428 00:25:14,440 --> 00:25:17,720 Speaker 2: who was registered to vote in the last election, you 429 00:25:17,800 --> 00:25:23,040 Speaker 2: can sign the referendum. So copsity vote dot. 430 00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:25,960 Speaker 1: That's copsityvote dot com. 431 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:27,760 Speaker 2: Cool. 432 00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:30,760 Speaker 1: Let's see, there's one other thing that happened of Note 433 00:25:30,800 --> 00:25:32,760 Speaker 1: the past few weeks. 434 00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:34,040 Speaker 2: One thing, one little thing. 435 00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:37,439 Speaker 1: There's one other thing that happened of note the past 436 00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:43,000 Speaker 1: few weeks, and that's when police rated the home of 437 00:25:43,119 --> 00:25:47,600 Speaker 1: three people and this this home kind of serves as 438 00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:52,760 Speaker 1: like a legal defense hub in Atlanta and arrested three 439 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:57,560 Speaker 1: people associated with the Atlanta Solidarity Fund and are charging 440 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:02,760 Speaker 1: them with a variety of of quote unquote charity fraud 441 00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:09,040 Speaker 1: and like another other quite nonsensical financial crimes. As the 442 00:26:09,080 --> 00:26:15,520 Speaker 1: bail hearing judge admitted himself, so do you wanna do 443 00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:17,399 Speaker 1: you want to go over some of some of those details, 444 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:20,000 Speaker 1: because this is something that was honest. People have been 445 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:22,720 Speaker 1: expecting this to happen, Like the alne of solid Already 446 00:26:22,720 --> 00:26:25,159 Speaker 1: Fund themselves has said, hey, we will probably be the 447 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:29,440 Speaker 1: target of something like this in the future. During during 448 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:33,200 Speaker 1: other hearings, the prosecutors have have talked about how they're 449 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:36,439 Speaker 1: investigating the Solidarity Fund as a part of this like 450 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:41,960 Speaker 1: conspiracy they're trying to weave. So it's definitely something that's 451 00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:45,800 Speaker 1: been on on people's minds of of this type of 452 00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:49,199 Speaker 1: legal this type of like state repression targeting all of 453 00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:51,679 Speaker 1: like the bail funds and like legal support structures that 454 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:56,160 Speaker 1: have been set up. So, yeah, this happened like late 455 00:26:56,400 --> 00:27:03,680 Speaker 1: late May, I believe. Yeah, last day, they were still asleep. 456 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:07,639 Speaker 2: In their beds. They got swat broke down their door. 457 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:11,360 Speaker 2: You know, I'm sure everyone's seen the video, broke down 458 00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:14,280 Speaker 2: their door, armored vehicle and pulled them all out of 459 00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:17,040 Speaker 2: their beds in their pajamas and took them to jail 460 00:27:17,160 --> 00:27:22,800 Speaker 2: in their pajamas. Just you know, utterly insane for a 461 00:27:22,840 --> 00:27:25,880 Speaker 2: bail fund or a nonprofit to have this go down. 462 00:27:25,920 --> 00:27:28,560 Speaker 2: But yeah, they had been prepared for this for quite 463 00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:33,840 Speaker 2: some time. Marlin, one of the organizers, had sent a 464 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:38,119 Speaker 2: CPP you know, a statement in preparation for this, and 465 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:43,160 Speaker 2: you know, you saw how quickly they transitioned the actual 466 00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:47,920 Speaker 2: running of the bail from the Atlanta Solidary fun to 467 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:53,240 Speaker 2: the National Bail Network been seamlessly that day. So they 468 00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:57,320 Speaker 2: were prepared. And then you know, someone who was talking 469 00:27:57,320 --> 00:28:00,800 Speaker 2: to Marlin while he was in jail said, Mark, pretty 470 00:28:00,840 --> 00:28:03,240 Speaker 2: chill about the whole thing, which if you've ever interacted 471 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:07,400 Speaker 2: or seen Marlin, uh, that is that's that's pretty apt 472 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:13,040 Speaker 2: to describe him. But the actual charges are are insane. 473 00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:17,680 Speaker 2: You know, the the charity fraud part of it. They're 474 00:28:17,720 --> 00:28:22,800 Speaker 2: they're saying things like buying a cell phone, uh for 475 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:27,720 Speaker 2: for the bail fund is charity broad or reimbursing yourself 476 00:28:27,840 --> 00:28:31,600 Speaker 2: or gas is charity broad or buying COVID test is 477 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:34,760 Speaker 2: charity broad like all these things that that are just 478 00:28:34,840 --> 00:28:35,760 Speaker 2: like overhead. 479 00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:39,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, it was very very very standard like overhead costs 480 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:44,920 Speaker 1: for running an organization of this scale. Yeah, and as is, 481 00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:48,240 Speaker 1: this was all on the website when people dot it 482 00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:51,160 Speaker 1: anyway to talk to the various uses that these funds 483 00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:54,240 Speaker 1: were going to have. All the charges are truly flin flimsy. 484 00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:57,560 Speaker 1: There was a veil hearing a few few days later 485 00:28:57,600 --> 00:29:01,120 Speaker 1: which I watched the whole thing, and the judge there 486 00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:06,320 Speaker 1: did not think the charges had much much merit, which 487 00:29:06,360 --> 00:29:08,760 Speaker 1: is the first time really during any kind of bail 488 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:12,240 Speaker 1: hearing associated with top coupstandy stuff. For the judge was like, okay, 489 00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:16,080 Speaker 1: so this just seems very clearly fake. And and I 490 00:29:16,200 --> 00:29:18,920 Speaker 1: told the prosecution that they'll have to put put a 491 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:22,120 Speaker 1: much much stronger, stronger case together if they want this 492 00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:24,560 Speaker 1: to go forward and at at at any at any 493 00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:29,920 Speaker 1: further stage. So all three got out on bail. It's 494 00:29:29,960 --> 00:29:33,120 Speaker 1: it's pretty scary though we like it's it's it fucking sucks. 495 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:37,240 Speaker 1: During the bail hearing, uh, the I believe, I believe 496 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:39,440 Speaker 1: it was it was it was the assistant attorney general 497 00:29:40,240 --> 00:29:44,400 Speaker 1: who was there. Of Valler, I believe he was talking 498 00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:47,200 Speaker 1: about how police were going through the trash of solidarity 499 00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:53,480 Speaker 1: fund how they're monitoring phone calls, uh other other communications. 500 00:29:53,960 --> 00:29:58,200 Speaker 1: So just another another good reason to have a have 501 00:29:58,280 --> 00:30:01,000 Speaker 1: a paper shutter and to have to have a burn 502 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:05,600 Speaker 1: pile in your backyard, because yeah, they're they're they're gonna, 503 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:08,400 Speaker 1: they're gonna go through your trash if they want to 504 00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:13,720 Speaker 1: find things out about you. They they they they stole 505 00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:17,719 Speaker 1: a journal from somebody. They were someone's someone's personal journal 506 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:22,240 Speaker 1: was was taken. And so yeah, a lot of a 507 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:25,840 Speaker 1: lot of kind of very very standard, like very standard 508 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:30,880 Speaker 1: of this type of like shady investigation police stuff, which 509 00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:33,200 Speaker 1: is just it's always good to have a reminder for 510 00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:35,520 Speaker 1: people about what what the police are willing to do. 511 00:30:36,760 --> 00:30:39,200 Speaker 1: But still, even even with all that, it seems like 512 00:30:39,200 --> 00:30:41,800 Speaker 1: they were not able to get much at all, because 513 00:30:41,840 --> 00:30:46,880 Speaker 1: the most they can put together is, oh, you you 514 00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:48,760 Speaker 1: you use these funds in a way that you explicitly 515 00:30:48,760 --> 00:30:51,080 Speaker 1: said that you could be used on your website, which 516 00:30:51,120 --> 00:30:54,760 Speaker 1: is not probably not going to be a crime, So 517 00:30:55,600 --> 00:30:59,480 Speaker 1: not compelling long term, but certainly a pretty large inconvenience 518 00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:01,600 Speaker 1: in the short term, and still a very like chilling 519 00:31:02,120 --> 00:31:06,360 Speaker 1: like display of police repression, saying that we'll we'll, well, 520 00:31:06,440 --> 00:31:09,720 Speaker 1: we'll make your life incredibly difficult if if we don't 521 00:31:09,760 --> 00:31:10,000 Speaker 1: like you. 522 00:31:11,040 --> 00:31:15,120 Speaker 2: But you know, and as has happened every time there's 523 00:31:15,160 --> 00:31:20,440 Speaker 2: been like this massive display of police repression, it utterly backfired, 524 00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:26,600 Speaker 2: right like we national media is now just harping on 525 00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:30,600 Speaker 2: the fact that these charges are overblown and they're attacking 526 00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:34,640 Speaker 2: bail buds, which is inconceivable to let's say, like the 527 00:31:34,720 --> 00:31:37,440 Speaker 2: liberal or the liberal left wing of things. And so 528 00:31:37,480 --> 00:31:42,640 Speaker 2: you you've blown this issue into another sphere of awareness. 529 00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:45,440 Speaker 2: You know, You've got Chris Hayes now on MSNBC doing 530 00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:48,520 Speaker 2: an entire segment on some tops city, which is not 531 00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:52,080 Speaker 2: something you know, we had before, even the domestic cares 532 00:31:52,080 --> 00:31:57,800 Speaker 2: and charges. And I think this was just tactically a 533 00:31:57,920 --> 00:32:01,600 Speaker 2: terrible decision by the Attorney General of Office to go 534 00:32:01,800 --> 00:32:05,400 Speaker 2: through with this, because the pr side of it is 535 00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:10,640 Speaker 2: a nightmare, and rightfully so, like this is an insane escalation. 536 00:32:11,800 --> 00:32:14,680 Speaker 1: Is the bail fund still being operated by the National 537 00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:17,080 Speaker 1: Bail Organization at this point. 538 00:32:17,560 --> 00:32:21,560 Speaker 2: Yes, so the bail fund is still being run out 539 00:32:21,560 --> 00:32:25,000 Speaker 2: of the National Network at this point in time. So 540 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:29,320 Speaker 2: secure dot act, blue dot com, Slash donate slash Atlanta 541 00:32:29,440 --> 00:32:35,000 Speaker 2: Solidarity will get you a donate page. Continue to support 542 00:32:35,400 --> 00:32:38,640 Speaker 2: bail you know in Atlanta, which again we've got a 543 00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:42,400 Speaker 2: week of action coming up. Bail funds are highly probable 544 00:32:43,080 --> 00:32:44,240 Speaker 2: in terms of being used. 545 00:32:44,960 --> 00:32:47,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean as they were used to bail out 546 00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:50,640 Speaker 1: the three people who are the veil, who are part 547 00:32:50,640 --> 00:32:52,400 Speaker 1: of the bail fund organizers, because I think, I think 548 00:32:52,440 --> 00:32:54,840 Speaker 1: they all got a fifteen thousand dollars spaale, which is 549 00:32:55,200 --> 00:32:58,160 Speaker 1: a relatively low amount in terms of what we've seen 550 00:32:58,200 --> 00:32:59,520 Speaker 1: in relation to this movement. 551 00:33:00,280 --> 00:33:04,240 Speaker 2: And I was looking through the December warrants and bail 552 00:33:04,360 --> 00:33:08,520 Speaker 2: hearings a minute ago for another story, and like then 553 00:33:08,560 --> 00:33:11,959 Speaker 2: there were like ten thousand dollars. The cost has ballooned 554 00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:15,080 Speaker 2: dramatically in the last months, So to go back down 555 00:33:15,080 --> 00:33:18,000 Speaker 2: to fifteen thousand dollars fail is terrible and awful, But 556 00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:21,640 Speaker 2: that seems way more in line with expectations. 557 00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:24,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, well so that is that is just a small 558 00:33:24,840 --> 00:33:27,760 Speaker 1: glimpse that the many things that have been happening the 559 00:33:27,840 --> 00:33:31,320 Speaker 1: past month, things do not seem to be slowing down. 560 00:33:31,440 --> 00:33:34,920 Speaker 1: Things just seem to be changing in ways that makes 561 00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:40,480 Speaker 1: h makes everything certainly, certainly a tricky and not very 562 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:42,360 Speaker 1: not very clear, but that's kind of the way that 563 00:33:42,360 --> 00:33:46,360 Speaker 1: these things go. People are still going to be showing up. 564 00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:50,240 Speaker 1: There's the Week of Action happening on us starting on 565 00:33:50,280 --> 00:33:54,200 Speaker 1: the twenty fourth, so that's that's going to be this month. 566 00:33:54,680 --> 00:33:57,000 Speaker 1: So it's going to be an interesting lead up to 567 00:33:57,240 --> 00:34:03,080 Speaker 1: July first. Yeah, the movement continues. Uh where can Where 568 00:34:03,080 --> 00:34:04,720 Speaker 1: can people find your work? 569 00:34:04,760 --> 00:34:08,759 Speaker 2: Matt? Yeah, you can follow a c PC uh at 570 00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:12,120 Speaker 2: Atlanta otherscore Press on Twitter. You can follow me at 571 00:34:12,239 --> 00:34:15,319 Speaker 2: Matt a c PC on Twitter, and our website is 572 00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:16,680 Speaker 2: at L Press. 573 00:34:16,440 --> 00:34:22,399 Speaker 1: Collective dot com. I assume yeah, I said, oh did 574 00:34:22,400 --> 00:34:24,120 Speaker 1: I cut out? You did cut out? I could not 575 00:34:24,160 --> 00:34:26,680 Speaker 1: hear it at all. I said, I heard it. I 576 00:34:26,719 --> 00:34:28,120 Speaker 1: heard at L Press Collective. 577 00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:32,600 Speaker 2: Yeah. Just you know atl Press Collector dot. 578 00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:36,520 Speaker 1: Com dot com. Fantastic, Yeah you can. Uh. I'll put 579 00:34:36,520 --> 00:34:38,080 Speaker 1: a link for the for the new for the new 580 00:34:38,080 --> 00:34:41,439 Speaker 1: solidarity fund, uh secure dot ActBlue dot com. Slash don't 581 00:34:41,560 --> 00:34:43,600 Speaker 1: slash a L and a solidarity because that is a 582 00:34:43,640 --> 00:34:45,719 Speaker 1: long thing to type out, So I'll put a link 583 00:34:45,760 --> 00:34:47,880 Speaker 1: for that in the description for the new for the 584 00:34:47,920 --> 00:34:52,319 Speaker 1: new bail fund link and uh, yeah, you can. You can, 585 00:34:52,520 --> 00:34:54,719 Speaker 1: uh if you want to keep updated on plans for 586 00:34:54,760 --> 00:34:57,560 Speaker 1: the week of action, I suppose you can look at 587 00:34:57,719 --> 00:35:00,640 Speaker 1: stop cup City on Instagram and the Defend the Line 588 00:35:00,640 --> 00:35:04,479 Speaker 1: of Forest account on Twitter, along with the many many 589 00:35:04,520 --> 00:35:10,719 Speaker 1: websites that exists at this point. But yeah, so that's 590 00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:13,319 Speaker 1: gonna be happening later. I don't know what will happen 591 00:35:13,520 --> 00:35:19,520 Speaker 1: because I because I don't know, because I really because 592 00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:21,720 Speaker 1: I really have no idea what's going to happen. Because 593 00:35:22,480 --> 00:35:25,759 Speaker 1: what happened to the last one was also quite quite surprising. 594 00:35:26,719 --> 00:35:29,560 Speaker 1: So who who knows? Who knows what will what will 595 00:35:29,600 --> 00:35:32,600 Speaker 1: what will go down? But thank you Matt for joining 596 00:35:32,640 --> 00:35:35,200 Speaker 1: me to give me, give me and the listeners a 597 00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:38,000 Speaker 1: bit of an update on the again, many many things 598 00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:41,399 Speaker 1: that have been happening in Atlanta. I'll see you all 599 00:35:41,440 --> 00:35:47,600 Speaker 1: on the other side. It could happen here as a 600 00:35:47,640 --> 00:35:50,480 Speaker 1: production of cool Zone Media. For more podcasts from cool 601 00:35:50,560 --> 00:35:53,400 Speaker 1: Zone Media, visit our website cool zonemedia dot com, or 602 00:35:53,480 --> 00:35:56,120 Speaker 1: check us out on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 603 00:35:56,160 --> 00:35:59,160 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to podcasts. You can find sources for 604 00:35:59,200 --> 00:36:02,520 Speaker 1: It could Happen here, updated monthly at Coolzonemedia dot com 605 00:36:02,560 --> 00:36:04,480 Speaker 1: slash sources. Thanks for listening.