1 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 1: Helloo the SISS it could happen here daily. I'm Garrison, 2 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 1: and today we have a special emergency release episode. I 3 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:14,640 Speaker 1: know a lot of news has happened in the past week, 4 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:17,120 Speaker 1: and we will be covering that later on in this week, 5 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:21,680 Speaker 1: but this episode is going to relate to some current 6 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 1: events happening today as of the release date of this episode, 7 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 1: and stuff that could be affected in the future. So 8 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:32,080 Speaker 1: I had the opportunity last Thursday to interview some people 9 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:35,519 Speaker 1: working with the Defend the Atlanta Forest Coalition. It's a 10 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:39,040 Speaker 1: coalition of activists who are working to prevent the deforestation 11 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 1: project going on in Southeast Atlanta. Now, in the interview, 12 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: they mentioned some actions on Friday that have already happened. 13 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:48,520 Speaker 1: As of recording, they did not happen, so they mentioned 14 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 1: those as actions coming up. But there's also actions coming 15 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 1: up on Tuesday, September seven, because that's also the day 16 00:00:56,760 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 1: that the city Council is going to vote whether to 17 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 1: can tinue with the deforestation project or not. So this Tuesday, 18 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:06,400 Speaker 1: there's gonna be actions that if you're in Atlanta, you 19 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:08,320 Speaker 1: can be a part of that gets talked about in 20 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:11,080 Speaker 1: the episode. So just just a heads up for timelines 21 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:14,399 Speaker 1: in case that gets a little confusing. Anyways, Uh, that's 22 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: enough of me talking. So here is the interview with 23 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:23,480 Speaker 1: people from the Defend the Atlanta Forest Coalition. Hello, and welcome. 24 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 1: Today we are going to be interviewing some people who 25 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:31,959 Speaker 1: are working with and help with the Atlanta Forest Defense 26 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: project that is ongoing. UM. If you're unfamiliar with this, 27 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 1: we'll learn about it here in the interview. UM. But 28 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:43,759 Speaker 1: first off, I have Chris here to help to help 29 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:46,399 Speaker 1: me today, and I'd like to introduce the people we're 30 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: talking with. Jamalti one of the start Yeah. So actually 31 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:51,840 Speaker 1: my name is jamal um Working. I'm an organizer with 32 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 1: Community Movement Builders. We do our main goal of building 33 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:58,560 Speaker 1: self sustainable black communities. UM. We have a base or 34 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:01,560 Speaker 1: a place based organization, at least for the Atlanta chapter 35 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Atlanta. We do have different 36 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:08,079 Speaker 1: chapters across the country, all doing place based work in 37 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 1: their respective areas. UM. We are we we've gotten onto 38 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 1: this coalition UM with Atlanta Forest Defense. But particularly because 39 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 1: with this particular area, you know, it's uh, while they're 40 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 1: just showing three eight acres of land, what the the 41 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 1: purpose of doing it is to UM build a mock 42 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 1: cops city, right, It's a mock city of of Atlanta, 43 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:36,960 Speaker 1: in order to essentially practice militarized warfare on the Atlanta's 44 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 1: residents and so. UM. While you know, all of us 45 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 1: are extremely concerned about the deforestation that's happening, the other 46 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 1: layer of of what we're what we're dealing with is 47 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 1: also an immediate threat to particularly the black communities UM 48 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 1: in Atlanta. The point working class black communities here in Atlanta. Yeah, hey, 49 00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 1: thanks for having me on. I'm Chassa. I I'm one 50 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 1: of the help coordinators of the Atlanta chapter of the 51 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:07,080 Speaker 1: Sunrise Movement, which is a movement of young people working 52 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 1: to stop climate change and create good jobs in the process. UM. 53 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 1: I think that you draw said it really well and 54 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 1: that UM this issue with forced defense, with stopping UM 55 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:23,080 Speaker 1: this facility from being built, it really is. UM. It 56 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: really does have two prongs. It's an issue very uniquely 57 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: at the intersection of racial and environmental justice because on 58 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 1: one hand, it's an expansion of policing in a city 59 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:34,080 Speaker 1: that does not need more police, and on the other hand, 60 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 1: it is systematic of unfettered capitalism and greed and exploitation 61 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 1: that causes all this environmental devastation. So I'm really excited. 62 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 1: I think we have two really good prongs of a 63 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:51,840 Speaker 1: um of the of the conversation and the argument against 64 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:55,800 Speaker 1: this ordinance. Yeah, and I think a lot of people 65 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:58,880 Speaker 1: don't realize how like what I like, Usually when I 66 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 1: think of Atlanta, I don't think of as as a 67 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 1: very like forest dense city. Um, but it absolutely is. 68 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:08,680 Speaker 1: Um that's just not something that really gets highlighted a 69 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 1: lot nationally, is how how green Atlanta really really is. 70 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:16,680 Speaker 1: And um, you guys want to talk about I've I've 71 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:18,720 Speaker 1: never been to Atlanta. Do I want to talk about 72 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:20,360 Speaker 1: kind of how like the city is like laid out 73 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:23,159 Speaker 1: and all of like you know, how how the forest 74 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 1: intersects with with the city. Yeah. Absolutely so, I mean, yeah, 75 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:29,159 Speaker 1: Atlanta is essentially a city that was built in the 76 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:32,160 Speaker 1: middle of a forest. Like I live. I live in 77 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:36,599 Speaker 1: the Pittsburgh neighborhood in Atlanta, and um, literally it's you know, trees, 78 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:40,279 Speaker 1: green greenery all over the place. Um. I went, I 79 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 1: come home, I'll see on my screen door there's a 80 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 1: frog that's just chilling there. Um. So it's like it's 81 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: not your typical like urban city in a in a 82 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:50,160 Speaker 1: sense of what a lot of people think of, like 83 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 1: particularly think of like cities in the northeast. UM. But 84 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:55,159 Speaker 1: it really is just a city in the middle of 85 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:59,120 Speaker 1: a forest. UM. And I think it also ties in 86 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 1: like again I'm talking about environmental racism, UM, intersecting with 87 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 1: you know, well talking about environmental racism period, right and deforestation. UM. 88 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:11,840 Speaker 1: What we see is that because it's in the middle 89 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:13,479 Speaker 1: of a forest, and what does the forest do. It 90 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:16,520 Speaker 1: protects us from flooding. It protects and protects us from 91 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:19,360 Speaker 1: all all these different natural disasters that we're seeing across 92 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:22,599 Speaker 1: the world, across our country right now, for example, but 93 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:26,040 Speaker 1: even locally which at Lanta didn't get hit very hard 94 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 1: by the you know, the hurricanes, but anytime it rains, 95 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 1: my uh, like my block floods, right because this because um, 96 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:39,039 Speaker 1: you know, the forest has been removed to be able 97 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:42,039 Speaker 1: to to make way for you know, different types of 98 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:44,839 Speaker 1: infrastructure being built. From my perspective, it's been like a 99 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 1: lot of changes to Atlanta's kind of whole economy in 100 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:51,480 Speaker 1: a in a lot of ways to pass like ten 101 00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:56,560 Speaker 1: fifteen years UM. Specifically with the film industry moving into 102 00:05:56,320 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 1: into Georgia and Atlanta specifically in the past like twin 103 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:03,080 Speaker 1: any and this this does intersect with with what's going on, 104 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 1: does any does anyone want to speak on that? I 105 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:09,159 Speaker 1: would say that, Um, you know, it's really good to 106 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:14,440 Speaker 1: note that Atlanta has the most amount of tree coverage 107 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 1: out of any major metropolitan area in the United States. 108 00:06:18,279 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 1: Oh wow, I didn't I didn't know that either. And 109 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: when we say city in a forest, we mean city 110 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 1: in a forest. Yeah, that's definitely true. And we we 111 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:29,520 Speaker 1: have green space we want to preserve it. But um, 112 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 1: the the forest Defense has also been highlighting like the 113 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 1: ties between policing and corporate elites and corporate CEOs and 114 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:40,840 Speaker 1: people who want to move in and push development projects, 115 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:44,359 Speaker 1: and something similar is happening, um black Claw studios. Like 116 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 1: you said, the expansion of like the media industry and 117 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:53,040 Speaker 1: all of that into Atlanta, it leads to gentrification of communities. 118 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:59,560 Speaker 1: Really really recently, Atlanta just became um just very I think, 119 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:02,120 Speaker 1: like in the last like a few weeks, we just 120 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:05,520 Speaker 1: got the data that said that Atlanta isn't the majority 121 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 1: black city anymore. And that's because black lawmakers and lawmakers 122 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:13,600 Speaker 1: in the city have been making these decisions in conjunction 123 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:17,040 Speaker 1: with corporations and developers that pushed people out of their homes, 124 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:19,520 Speaker 1: under the streets and out of the city. So it's 125 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 1: a really big problem that our demographics have changed a 126 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:23,680 Speaker 1: lot in the last TenTen seeing here is because of 127 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:27,560 Speaker 1: that in Cops City, like that that this development project 128 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 1: is very reminiscent of all of this, And just to 129 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:34,600 Speaker 1: piggyback off of that, I think it's extremely important for 130 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:37,680 Speaker 1: us to recognize the connections between all these things. Right this, 131 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: like Cops City is a perfect blend of UM environmental 132 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 1: justice issues, uh, just flat out racism, police brutality, and 133 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:50,440 Speaker 1: also gentrification. Right, it's not a it's not a mistake 134 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:52,920 Speaker 1: that they're building this Cops City right at this moment 135 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 1: when UM Atlanta is also becoming for the first time 136 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:01,000 Speaker 1: and I don't know how many decades, UH non no 137 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 1: longer majority black city because neighborhoods like Pittsburgh were located 138 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:07,640 Speaker 1: out of and all across Southwest and West Atlanta have 139 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:10,840 Speaker 1: becoming more like the black people have been being displaced 140 00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 1: from the from our communities, right. UM. So a perfect 141 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:16,480 Speaker 1: example is that with my organization, Community Movement Builders, we 142 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 1: UH purchased. We've we've been doing work in the Pittsburg 143 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:22,560 Speaker 1: neighborhood for a while, but we purchased a community house 144 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:26,440 Speaker 1: in the neighborhood about six years ago. Right at that point, 145 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:30,360 Speaker 1: we purchased the house for fifty tho dollars. Right, UM, 146 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:33,680 Speaker 1: Pittsburgh has been historically UH poor and working class community. 147 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:37,200 Speaker 1: It was uh it was founded as a black community, 148 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:39,240 Speaker 1: which is different from a lot of other other neighbors 149 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:42,160 Speaker 1: in Atlanta. Was founded as a black community from UH 150 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:46,880 Speaker 1: freed Africans UM who we're trying to escape some of 151 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 1: the more rural areas of the South and found work 152 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:52,600 Speaker 1: in Haven in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Atlanta. And it's 153 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 1: been a poor and working class black community ever since. 154 00:08:54,800 --> 00:08:58,679 Speaker 1: But now UM, because of the gentrification has been going on. 155 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:01,719 Speaker 1: How how has just sold maybe about a month and 156 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:04,199 Speaker 1: a half ago, for seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars. 157 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:07,080 Speaker 1: So the person's house at fifty thou dollars six years ago, 158 00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:10,360 Speaker 1: the house just sold UM just a few blocks away 159 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:13,959 Speaker 1: from that house for seven fifty thousand dollars. Now it's 160 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 1: not every house is selling for that amount, but that 161 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:18,800 Speaker 1: just shows you the rate of gentrification that's happening. And 162 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:22,559 Speaker 1: then and we know that cops are on this necessary 163 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 1: part of being able to defer to displace people from 164 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:28,760 Speaker 1: gentrifying communities. They play an integral role within gentrification. Yeah, 165 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:30,960 Speaker 1: I'm just wondering, does any of you have anything like 166 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:35,080 Speaker 1: even like anecdotal experience with like basically Marvel and Men, 167 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 1: tons of other industries like invading Atlanta. How is that 168 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:41,640 Speaker 1: like affected specifically, Like you already talked about how how 169 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:44,160 Speaker 1: you know, increased the increase in the film industry and 170 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:46,160 Speaker 1: other things. Has you know, has made more gentrification? But like, 171 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:48,520 Speaker 1: how has that even affected just like like other types 172 00:09:48,559 --> 00:09:51,520 Speaker 1: of stuff, including like policing, Like has has this type 173 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:55,800 Speaker 1: of like growth um affected people or people you know 174 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:58,920 Speaker 1: in in other ways? Yeah? Absolutely so. I think a 175 00:09:58,920 --> 00:10:01,319 Speaker 1: lot of this kind of got I won't say it 176 00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 1: got started, but a lot of it went even uh 177 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:07,440 Speaker 1: you know, escalated when Tyler Perry Studio opened up in 178 00:10:07,559 --> 00:10:10,360 Speaker 1: East Point Um and a lot of people, you know, 179 00:10:10,559 --> 00:10:13,440 Speaker 1: we're praising it's like, oh look at this, uh you know, 180 00:10:13,480 --> 00:10:15,960 Speaker 1: it's a black man. I was able to move down 181 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:18,600 Speaker 1: and be able to start this thing within Hollywood. But no, 182 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:20,839 Speaker 1: it's all that is one of the things that also 183 00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:24,319 Speaker 1: spurred the gentrification in East Point, which is you might 184 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 1: not be familiar with Atlanta, but East Point is like 185 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:28,839 Speaker 1: literally right next to Atlanta, So it's a lot of 186 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:32,240 Speaker 1: it's it's it's really close proximity. And so that also 187 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:35,679 Speaker 1: spurs over to the gentrification here in the city as well. Um. 188 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:40,040 Speaker 1: Property values have gone up since that point, even more. UM. 189 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:43,240 Speaker 1: Even my tax bill has gone up a thousand dollars 190 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:46,320 Speaker 1: a year per a year UM for the past like 191 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 1: three years, right, UM. So it's yeah, it's it's definitely 192 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:53,960 Speaker 1: we definitely see the effects and you know, and just 193 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:56,079 Speaker 1: talking to you know, we do, we do do a 194 00:10:56,120 --> 00:10:59,320 Speaker 1: lot of work around gentrification. UM. And I think this 195 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:01,360 Speaker 1: is intend them with you know, because we have COVID 196 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:05,080 Speaker 1: nineteen out here now, with the Vision moratorium which has 197 00:11:05,120 --> 00:11:09,760 Speaker 1: now been you know denied um by the Supreme Court. Um. 198 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:12,160 Speaker 1: But even when there wasn't a Vision moratorium, there were 199 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:15,000 Speaker 1: still people that were getting evicted from their homes. And 200 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:17,800 Speaker 1: I think all of this in tandem when Atlanta specifically 201 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:21,920 Speaker 1: has already been going through a gentrification crisis, and um 202 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:24,800 Speaker 1: with COVID nineteen, where people have been losing jobs, left 203 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:26,439 Speaker 1: and right or not been able to go to their 204 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:29,240 Speaker 1: jobs that they've had um and look and having us 205 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:32,400 Speaker 1: salaries cut. People have been hurting. And the response from 206 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:34,800 Speaker 1: the city has not too been that has not been 207 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:38,120 Speaker 1: to provide more resources to people. It's been too fund 208 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:41,640 Speaker 1: cops city to be able to get more peace out. 209 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:44,640 Speaker 1: Who are the ones that execute the actual evictions themselves? 210 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:47,000 Speaker 1: And I think it all, it all, it all is 211 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 1: connected in that in that type of way. Yeah, I mean, 212 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:51,600 Speaker 1: like I think if people don't know, like the reason 213 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:54,960 Speaker 1: why so many filming projects have moved to Georgia in 214 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:57,800 Speaker 1: the past decade and a half, it's because basically, UM, 215 00:11:57,800 --> 00:12:01,520 Speaker 1: Georgia instituted a pretty substantial tax cut for production companies 216 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:04,400 Speaker 1: to film in Georgia, so they would they would like 217 00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 1: not even just get a tax cut, but also at 218 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:07,920 Speaker 1: tax credit you would actually get like you would actually 219 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:12,160 Speaker 1: get money for filming in Georgia. UM. And theoretically, this, this, 220 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:15,360 Speaker 1: this can be good things, right, this, this could strengthen 221 00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:18,800 Speaker 1: local film film industry and hire people who already in Georgia. 222 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:21,640 Speaker 1: But in a lot of cases they are hiring a 223 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:23,600 Speaker 1: lot of out of state workers to come in and 224 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:27,360 Speaker 1: do these big productions. Um, including you know, Marvel and 225 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:30,360 Speaker 1: and various other film studios. I think, uh, just looking 226 00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:34,280 Speaker 1: looking at something like it was in about in twenty 227 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:36,520 Speaker 1: six there was they were supposed to have around like 228 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:41,520 Speaker 1: um jobs created, um, but only of those went to 229 00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:44,800 Speaker 1: people actually living in Georgia. So there is job creation, 230 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:46,480 Speaker 1: but it's a lot of people moving in from from 231 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:49,080 Speaker 1: from people getting flowed in from like New York from 232 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:53,600 Speaker 1: California two then, but both are taking the jobs in 233 00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:55,360 Speaker 1: in the city, but also they have to live there, 234 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:58,080 Speaker 1: so they're also eating up housing. UM. And this housing 235 00:12:58,160 --> 00:13:00,360 Speaker 1: is getting paid for by big corporations, which is making 236 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:02,319 Speaker 1: prices go up and up. And it's this kind of 237 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:06,560 Speaker 1: cascading problem which is now you know, even even led 238 00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:11,280 Speaker 1: to this deforestation project. UM. You you've mentioned what the 239 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:14,640 Speaker 1: deforestage project is and you've called it like a cops city, UM. 240 00:13:14,679 --> 00:13:17,240 Speaker 1: And I think this is this is an extremely fascinating, 241 00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:22,000 Speaker 1: um and horrifying like dystopia like idea of don't explain 242 00:13:22,080 --> 00:13:25,079 Speaker 1: like what they're actually trying to do with this, with 243 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:27,360 Speaker 1: this section of force and what they're trying to build. 244 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:31,720 Speaker 1: I do want to take a second and just kind 245 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:36,400 Speaker 1: of make a point really quickly that I think is important. UM. 246 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:40,319 Speaker 1: The Atlantic Police Foundation, which is basically the ther machine 247 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:44,520 Speaker 1: that works with the Atlanta Police Department. UM, if you 248 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:47,000 Speaker 1: look at their website, if you look at their goals, 249 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:49,680 Speaker 1: if you look at their objectives, they always say and 250 00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:52,920 Speaker 1: purport UM that like, Hey, we're looking to protect the city. 251 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:54,599 Speaker 1: We're looking to do all of these things. And I 252 00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:57,480 Speaker 1: think it's really interesting because they're also looking to expand 253 00:13:57,480 --> 00:14:00,160 Speaker 1: their police force as this cop City then would allow, 254 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:02,840 Speaker 1: which would take about five years to develop, but is 255 00:14:03,280 --> 00:14:05,800 Speaker 1: still going to be a massive expansion of policing if 256 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:09,000 Speaker 1: it were to be passed. Um, do you have these people, 257 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:11,240 Speaker 1: you have these police for saying that we are looking 258 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:13,079 Speaker 1: to expand the work that we do. We're looking to 259 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:15,600 Speaker 1: hire more officers, We're looking to put more people on 260 00:14:15,679 --> 00:14:18,120 Speaker 1: the streets streets. And at the same time, you have 261 00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:21,680 Speaker 1: an eviction moratorium that is putting people on the street streets. 262 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:25,680 Speaker 1: And it's just really interesting that their jobs and their 263 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:29,600 Speaker 1: livelihood rely on the existence of poverty, in the existence 264 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:34,480 Speaker 1: of crime in order to have in order to have 265 00:14:34,640 --> 00:14:36,640 Speaker 1: a need for more police, you need more people on 266 00:14:36,680 --> 00:14:38,920 Speaker 1: the streets. In order to have a need for more police, 267 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:41,560 Speaker 1: you need more people whose doors need to be knocked 268 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:43,840 Speaker 1: on to be told, hey, you're getting evicted, You're getting 269 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:46,240 Speaker 1: pushed out of your home. So I think that is 270 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:49,280 Speaker 1: very reminiscent of the fact that police do not protect 271 00:14:49,400 --> 00:14:54,160 Speaker 1: us because they're the existence of their jobs rely on 272 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:58,200 Speaker 1: our poverty. Yeah, they're not. They're not actually trying to 273 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:01,920 Speaker 1: help regular people who are living in Atlanta and trying 274 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:04,520 Speaker 1: to make other people happy, who have a lot more 275 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:08,160 Speaker 1: money and who have other other things that stay. Yeah. Absolutely, 276 00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:11,000 Speaker 1: and that definitely intersects with a lot of this stuff. 277 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:15,240 Speaker 1: Another point to make is that who as sits on 278 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:17,920 Speaker 1: the board of the Atlanta Police Foundation, right, It is 279 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:21,920 Speaker 1: all of the CEOs of the big businesses that are 280 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:24,560 Speaker 1: in the city of Atlanta. The CEO of Coca Cola, 281 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:27,440 Speaker 1: the CEO of Chick fil A, the CEO of Home Depot, 282 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:31,720 Speaker 1: all of these, the major corporations, the Fortune five, Fortune 283 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:35,520 Speaker 1: one d for most of them, corporations that are that 284 00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:38,200 Speaker 1: run the city of Atlanta. The corporate elite are the 285 00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:40,520 Speaker 1: ones that are sitting that are on the board of 286 00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:43,800 Speaker 1: this of the Atlanta Police Foundation. Who are the ones 287 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:46,480 Speaker 1: that are building this and are are funding this project 288 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:51,000 Speaker 1: so that they can protect their property UM, and so 289 00:15:51,040 --> 00:15:52,920 Speaker 1: that they can expand the police force that and what 290 00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:54,800 Speaker 1: we know is that police doesn't don't protect people and 291 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:57,560 Speaker 1: protect property UM, and they protect the corporate elite. So 292 00:15:57,920 --> 00:16:00,600 Speaker 1: I think all of those things are it comes full 293 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:05,040 Speaker 1: circle as a great Michael Cosum of racial capitalism that 294 00:16:05,240 --> 00:16:10,160 Speaker 1: UM is exploiting uh, poor and working class black folks 295 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:23,720 Speaker 1: in particular. Yeah, and if if people are unfamiliar, does 296 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:28,360 Speaker 1: anyone want to explain what the what what the project 297 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:30,120 Speaker 1: that the police are trying to build is And they're 298 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:31,680 Speaker 1: I know they're teaming up with like different like prison 299 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:33,880 Speaker 1: firms and stuff as well, like like what is what 300 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:36,720 Speaker 1: is the actual project? Sure, so I can kind of 301 00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:39,200 Speaker 1: give a broader overview and wall if I miss anything, 302 00:16:39,200 --> 00:16:41,720 Speaker 1: if you want to add it in, that would be great. UM. 303 00:16:41,760 --> 00:16:45,000 Speaker 1: So basically they want to take UM ownership of three 304 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:49,280 Speaker 1: hundred and eighty one acres of forested land in unincorporated 305 00:16:49,360 --> 00:16:54,080 Speaker 1: to Cobb County. UM. This land was once the old 306 00:16:54,080 --> 00:16:57,080 Speaker 1: Atlanta put Prison Farm. Before that it was Key Plantation, 307 00:16:57,200 --> 00:17:00,480 Speaker 1: and before that it belonged to the um Miss Scogee 308 00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:02,880 Speaker 1: Nation and it was stolen from them and then folks 309 00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:06,040 Speaker 1: were enslaved on it and then forced into unpaid labor 310 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:08,200 Speaker 1: for prison work on it as well. So it's a 311 00:17:08,280 --> 00:17:11,000 Speaker 1: land with the very scarred history. What the APF wants 312 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:14,840 Speaker 1: to do essentially is UM bulldoze a great deal of 313 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:19,280 Speaker 1: it and then build this training facility and mocks city. 314 00:17:19,560 --> 00:17:23,320 Speaker 1: UM it's going to The plans currently include plans for 315 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:29,520 Speaker 1: explosives testing and weapons testing and like all of that stuff, 316 00:17:29,600 --> 00:17:32,480 Speaker 1: and then UM, I think this is a good point 317 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:34,320 Speaker 1: to make is that there have been a lot of 318 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:37,040 Speaker 1: attempts to kind of placate the public on the facility. 319 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:38,840 Speaker 1: So they say, oh, we're not going to destroy all 320 00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:41,200 Speaker 1: of the land. We're gonna do a hundred fifty acres, 321 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:42,720 Speaker 1: or we're gonna get it where, We're gonna cut it 322 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:45,520 Speaker 1: town to a hundred and twenty acres, or we'll leave 323 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:48,600 Speaker 1: this part or um we'll create some green space as well, 324 00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:50,960 Speaker 1: and we'll have like a food farm as well. But 325 00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:54,080 Speaker 1: there was this really great environmental impact report that was 326 00:17:54,119 --> 00:17:57,520 Speaker 1: done that kind of showed that UM a lot of 327 00:17:57,560 --> 00:18:01,760 Speaker 1: the impacts that this would actually in terms of UM, 328 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:05,000 Speaker 1: the runoff from all of those explosives testing and things 329 00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:07,600 Speaker 1: like that would um end up polluting the South River 330 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:11,320 Speaker 1: and would pollute the very urban farm that they proposed 331 00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:14,520 Speaker 1: to exist on the land itself, so that food, that 332 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:17,760 Speaker 1: those fish, all of that would become destroyed. And it's 333 00:18:17,800 --> 00:18:21,480 Speaker 1: really really, I think helpful to just point this out 334 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:25,159 Speaker 1: as a really specific instance of environmental racism because the 335 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:27,600 Speaker 1: people who are going to be affected by that are 336 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:29,520 Speaker 1: people who lived there. And of course this is being 337 00:18:29,520 --> 00:18:32,879 Speaker 1: lived there, this is being built near marginalized communities, so 338 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:37,040 Speaker 1: that's kind of what's happening. They want to, UM, I 339 00:18:37,119 --> 00:18:40,120 Speaker 1: live on Georgia type campus, just to give an example, 340 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:44,280 Speaker 1: And this facility would be larger than that, or about 341 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:46,280 Speaker 1: the size of that. This facility would be about the 342 00:18:46,320 --> 00:18:51,639 Speaker 1: size of UM Disneyland in California. UM it is huge. 343 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:54,840 Speaker 1: It's a huge. Yeah, And I'm guessing they're they're They're 344 00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:58,359 Speaker 1: not going to be building there explosives and military testing 345 00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:00,960 Speaker 1: facility next to where all the rich people live. They're 346 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:03,920 Speaker 1: not going to be like testing out bombs where all 347 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:07,320 Speaker 1: of you know, the upper class people are. Of course not. Yeah, 348 00:19:07,400 --> 00:19:10,320 Speaker 1: people get saying Buckhead wants the facility, but they don't 349 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:14,080 Speaker 1: want it in Buckhead. They wouldn't do it there. Of course. 350 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:18,240 Speaker 1: It's not a mistake that UM all of like and 351 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:22,040 Speaker 1: even with UH so, you know, with city council, people 352 00:19:22,119 --> 00:19:24,960 Speaker 1: who have gotten a little bit scared and nervous about 353 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:28,800 Speaker 1: our past and our current um efforts again to be 354 00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:31,000 Speaker 1: able to raise awareness about this because the other part 355 00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:33,440 Speaker 1: of this is what isn't that it should be highlighted, 356 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:36,200 Speaker 1: is that, you know, city council talks about how they're 357 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:38,360 Speaker 1: trying to make this a more uh you know, they're 358 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:41,280 Speaker 1: getting the input of people. All this was done before 359 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:46,000 Speaker 1: organizers exposed it without anybody knowing, right there was no advertisement, 360 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:48,959 Speaker 1: There's no like, no calls made or no in public 361 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:53,080 Speaker 1: input about any of this happening until organizers started, you know, 362 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:55,560 Speaker 1: blowing it up, and that's what's gotten them scared at 363 00:19:55,600 --> 00:19:57,879 Speaker 1: this point. But even and then now that people do 364 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:00,679 Speaker 1: are aware of it, some a few certain in UH 365 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:02,879 Speaker 1: city Countis members are saying, Okay, we're gonna backtrack a 366 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:04,640 Speaker 1: little bit. Maybe you don't want it to be here 367 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:07,240 Speaker 1: because of this forest we want. We might want to 368 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:09,719 Speaker 1: put it in a different location, but it's important that 369 00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:13,240 Speaker 1: all those proposed locations. One, I think it's pretty much bullshit. 370 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:15,359 Speaker 1: They're gonna build it there at that location. They've already 371 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:17,480 Speaker 1: had the plans for it. But even if they were 372 00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:20,159 Speaker 1: to move, all those other proposed locations are all south 373 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:24,840 Speaker 1: of anywhere. Anybody that lives or is from Atlanta, um 374 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:27,199 Speaker 1: knows that south of I twenty is where all of 375 00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:30,680 Speaker 1: the black people live basically, and so and all of 376 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:33,159 Speaker 1: the poor and working class people of Atlanta, uh in 377 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:36,560 Speaker 1: the city live. So this is so it's it's a 378 00:20:36,880 --> 00:20:40,800 Speaker 1: so yes, they like just just like she was saying, right, 379 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:46,080 Speaker 1: um Buckhead wants this, Midtown wants this. Um, the richest 380 00:20:46,119 --> 00:20:48,200 Speaker 1: areas of the city want this, but they don't want 381 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:53,960 Speaker 1: it for them. They wanted to uh police, uh, poor 382 00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:56,720 Speaker 1: and working class people. Yeah, I mean like be even 383 00:20:57,359 --> 00:21:01,760 Speaker 1: beyond the disastrous en mental effects and building this giant 384 00:21:01,960 --> 00:21:05,240 Speaker 1: but tearing down forest and building this giant concrete structure 385 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:09,399 Speaker 1: would have like it's just this is gonna and and 386 00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:13,280 Speaker 1: even beyond like the increased problems with gentrification. Just like 387 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:18,080 Speaker 1: the further militarization of the police is like, this isn't 388 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:19,879 Speaker 1: like a niche problem you gets talked about anymore. Like 389 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:22,000 Speaker 1: this is like a widely and this is generally think 390 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:23,720 Speaker 1: that's something that's talking that got talked about a lot. 391 00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:27,560 Speaker 1: Is how militarization of police is bad um. You know, 392 00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:30,720 Speaker 1: even for like more like softer liberals is something that 393 00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:33,720 Speaker 1: even they can like you know, say that they agree with. 394 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:38,040 Speaker 1: Yet they're building this giant compound to make their police 395 00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:45,679 Speaker 1: like some like super like swat team, military tactical training unit. UM. 396 00:21:45,760 --> 00:21:48,040 Speaker 1: And Yeah, I think another point is that even if 397 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:50,320 Speaker 1: wherever it's built anywhere like it, it shouldn't be built like, 398 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:52,399 Speaker 1: we don't you don't need this in the first place 399 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:56,119 Speaker 1: at all. You don't, you know, beyond the forest being 400 00:21:56,280 --> 00:21:58,680 Speaker 1: being you know, torn down, which is horrible, you don't 401 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:01,639 Speaker 1: need this built anywhere, right, Like That's so like in 402 00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:05,040 Speaker 1: organizing against this, is is it kind of split up 403 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:08,440 Speaker 1: in between protecting the forests and organizing against the facility 404 00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:11,200 Speaker 1: or or are these things kind of just so combined 405 00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:15,160 Speaker 1: that these struggles are still linked that there's really no no, no, 406 00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:17,880 Speaker 1: no difference between between the two. Yes. So I think 407 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:21,760 Speaker 1: the initial coalition came pretty naturally because everybody that was 408 00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:24,960 Speaker 1: in the coalition UM, in one way or another, was 409 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:27,800 Speaker 1: against this project. Right. We had folks that were more 410 00:22:27,840 --> 00:22:30,399 Speaker 1: so on the environmental side of things. We have folks 411 00:22:30,680 --> 00:22:35,160 Speaker 1: that were more so on the police brutality side, and 412 00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:40,480 Speaker 1: UM and the police abolition side of things. Um, however, 413 00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:44,000 Speaker 1: I think all of us have in some way or another, 414 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:45,520 Speaker 1: you know, we have interests in all the all these 415 00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:48,320 Speaker 1: issues are all overlaying right. So the coalition formed because 416 00:22:48,359 --> 00:22:52,320 Speaker 1: even while we might have our specialized interests in different areas, 417 00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:57,159 Speaker 1: this particular project is one that was a microcosm of 418 00:22:57,200 --> 00:22:59,600 Speaker 1: so many different things that we could unite behind all 419 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:01,159 Speaker 1: of these things to be able to find a coalition 420 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:05,679 Speaker 1: to fight against it. Right. Um, And I think, uh, 421 00:23:05,800 --> 00:23:09,520 Speaker 1: to uh your point, Christopher, I think one thing that's 422 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:15,840 Speaker 1: also really significant is that so my city council person 423 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:21,200 Speaker 1: for his district twelve, Joyce Shepherd, Um, District twelve is 424 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:26,240 Speaker 1: where Pittsburgh is, where Summerhill is, where several of poor 425 00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:30,919 Speaker 1: and black working class neighborhoods of Atlanta are located. There 426 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:35,280 Speaker 1: are also the areas where they're the most gentrifying areas 427 00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:38,720 Speaker 1: of the city as well. And it's in in in 428 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:42,840 Speaker 1: city Council District twelve. Joyce Shepherd. She is the person 429 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:46,560 Speaker 1: who brought this proposal forward, right. She is over the 430 00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:49,560 Speaker 1: quote unquote public safety. Um, you know they ain't keeping 431 00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:56,640 Speaker 1: ship safe public safety? Um, you know commission And Um, 432 00:23:56,720 --> 00:24:00,280 Speaker 1: she brought this forward. And she has been since she's 433 00:24:00,280 --> 00:24:06,680 Speaker 1: been in office, she has been a even uh, she's 434 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:10,120 Speaker 1: been a champion of gentrification, right, she's been a champion 435 00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:13,359 Speaker 1: of over policing as well. Um. And I think it's 436 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:15,520 Speaker 1: it's a tie between even our city council or even 437 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:19,159 Speaker 1: representation has in their interests of being able of of 438 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:21,399 Speaker 1: gentrifying the city because that gives them more tax stars, 439 00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:23,120 Speaker 1: it gives them a way to be able to say 440 00:24:23,119 --> 00:24:27,040 Speaker 1: that they are decreasing their crime rates except and all 441 00:24:27,040 --> 00:24:29,040 Speaker 1: those all these different types of things when it's really 442 00:24:29,080 --> 00:24:31,920 Speaker 1: just dep deplacing poor folks. Um. And so I think 443 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:35,040 Speaker 1: that's an important about talking about how this kind of 444 00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:37,920 Speaker 1: was established. That's an important topic to be able to address, 445 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:40,160 Speaker 1: is that even and she's a black woman, right so 446 00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:45,480 Speaker 1: even um, you know, even how like when people when 447 00:24:45,520 --> 00:24:49,439 Speaker 1: when people might you think they might be representing your interests, Um, 448 00:24:49,480 --> 00:24:51,320 Speaker 1: when they get to be in these positions, we have 449 00:24:51,359 --> 00:24:54,560 Speaker 1: to recognize that they are not necessarily for the people. Yeah, 450 00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:57,320 Speaker 1: we we had this in Chicago too with lightfoot, just 451 00:24:57,480 --> 00:25:00,600 Speaker 1: like for selected and that immediately, like do you start 452 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:02,720 Speaker 1: putting stops in the subways and swat teams are shooting 453 00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:07,200 Speaker 1: people and disaster. Yeah, And I would just add to that, 454 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:09,960 Speaker 1: like this is like in terms of like the question 455 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:12,199 Speaker 1: about the coalition and how these organizers and how these 456 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:15,480 Speaker 1: organizations came together, It's it's been a little it's it's 457 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:19,040 Speaker 1: been really interesting because there's, like, like Jamal said, there's 458 00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:21,040 Speaker 1: been so many groups that have come from all of 459 00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:25,000 Speaker 1: these different interests, whether it's environmental or abolitionists or UM 460 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:29,320 Speaker 1: talking about um, you know, reimagining public safety and divesting 461 00:25:29,359 --> 00:25:32,439 Speaker 1: resources from policing. You have all these people from all 462 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:36,360 Speaker 1: these different groups, and UM there was like there there 463 00:25:36,359 --> 00:25:39,200 Speaker 1: have been like different coalitions and different groups of people 464 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:41,960 Speaker 1: working together and like co sponsoring each other on events. 465 00:25:42,359 --> 00:25:46,200 Speaker 1: And I have just seen that number grow so rapidly 466 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:49,840 Speaker 1: and just and I think that comes from a fundamental 467 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:53,800 Speaker 1: understanding that we're not fighting different fights. All of this 468 00:25:54,280 --> 00:25:59,480 Speaker 1: is intertwined. This is environmental justice is intersectional to racial justice, 469 00:25:59,480 --> 00:26:02,679 Speaker 1: which is inter sectional to economic justice, which is just 470 00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:07,600 Speaker 1: all indicative of, you know, the fight against unfettered greed 471 00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:11,040 Speaker 1: and exploitation and all of these things. So I think 472 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:14,200 Speaker 1: that and I would say that to an extent, there 473 00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:18,680 Speaker 1: are more like quote unquote like moderate groups that I've seen, 474 00:26:18,800 --> 00:26:21,120 Speaker 1: like do things, or there have been groups who's kind 475 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:23,439 Speaker 1: of whose hands have been tied a little bit and 476 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:26,080 Speaker 1: kind of have been approaching the issue through an environmental 477 00:26:26,119 --> 00:26:29,680 Speaker 1: angle only to kind of avoid talking about polarizing topics 478 00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:34,240 Speaker 1: like policing. But um, I think that hopefully by having 479 00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:37,360 Speaker 1: coalitions like this one and by having conversations like this one, 480 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:40,480 Speaker 1: we are getting people closer and closer to the understanding 481 00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:44,440 Speaker 1: that these are intersectional issues. These are issues that we 482 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:47,639 Speaker 1: should all tackle together and in the future when stuff 483 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:51,199 Speaker 1: like this happens. We're so much stronger when we work together. 484 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:53,920 Speaker 1: Like I can list like fifteen or twenty different organizations 485 00:26:53,920 --> 00:26:55,560 Speaker 1: off the top of my head who are involved in 486 00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:58,120 Speaker 1: this fight in some way, and that wouldn't be possible 487 00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:00,640 Speaker 1: it was just the abolitionists or just being our mentalist. 488 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:03,640 Speaker 1: Because it's it all ties together and as we do this, 489 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:07,080 Speaker 1: as we're in this process, we learn from each other 490 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:09,640 Speaker 1: and learned that these things are true. I wasn't and 491 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:13,719 Speaker 1: I wasn't the like most well burst on gentrification and 492 00:27:13,760 --> 00:27:15,600 Speaker 1: how it works in the city of Atlanta because I 493 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:18,560 Speaker 1: just moved here pretty recently, and like being able to 494 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:21,560 Speaker 1: have these conversations and going out and canvassing and talking 495 00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:23,440 Speaker 1: to people and seeing what the streets look like and 496 00:27:23,480 --> 00:27:27,440 Speaker 1: seeing what different districts look like has like vactually expanded 497 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:30,359 Speaker 1: my own knowledge of how all of this works, and 498 00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:32,960 Speaker 1: it's made me like it's it's made me a better 499 00:27:33,119 --> 00:27:37,480 Speaker 1: organizer and a more caring community member. So it's been 500 00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:39,320 Speaker 1: really cool to see all these people from all these 501 00:27:39,320 --> 00:27:42,840 Speaker 1: different backgrounds come together. And I think that, yeah, it's 502 00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:49,840 Speaker 1: just been really great. Yeah, because the effort to the 503 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:53,520 Speaker 1: effort to save the forest um and prevent the construction 504 00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:56,960 Speaker 1: of the facility, because it is such a coalition effort. 505 00:27:56,960 --> 00:28:01,240 Speaker 1: It's it's multiple groups working together. How How is how 506 00:28:01,320 --> 00:28:03,960 Speaker 1: is the process of taking multiple organizations and having them 507 00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:05,919 Speaker 1: all work together on the same project, Because I know 508 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:08,640 Speaker 1: that can in my experience watching this happen in other 509 00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:12,040 Speaker 1: cities that can be very difficult as getting different organizations 510 00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:15,680 Speaker 1: to work together. Um how how How? How have how 511 00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:21,200 Speaker 1: have people managed to to take all these different different 512 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:24,640 Speaker 1: organizations with different backgrounds and get them to team up 513 00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:30,160 Speaker 1: for this shared cause? Um? I think it has been 514 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:32,719 Speaker 1: difficult and there have been a lot of lessons and 515 00:28:32,760 --> 00:28:37,960 Speaker 1: experiences here because I mean, um community movement builders for example, 516 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:39,800 Speaker 1: And while you can speak to this much better than 517 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:44,080 Speaker 1: I can. Is a Black lead Black Front group that 518 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:48,200 Speaker 1: operates in Atlanta, and there are other groups and other 519 00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:50,960 Speaker 1: people who are working on this who maybe aren't as 520 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:54,240 Speaker 1: well versed as we need to be, And honestly, an 521 00:28:54,280 --> 00:28:57,080 Speaker 1: element of that is learning from each other and learning 522 00:28:57,080 --> 00:29:00,720 Speaker 1: to respect like who should be speaking on these issues 523 00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:02,640 Speaker 1: and when they should be speaking on these issues, and 524 00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:05,960 Speaker 1: what role each of us has to play. Um. I 525 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:08,120 Speaker 1: think one thing that I would have liked to see 526 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:12,560 Speaker 1: more is including, you know, the lower my scope Creep 527 00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:15,520 Speaker 1: tribe in indigenous groups in this effort a little bit more. 528 00:29:15,960 --> 00:29:18,480 Speaker 1: And I know, like we've been moving on like what 529 00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:21,600 Speaker 1: a hell of a timeline, and it's been development after development. 530 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:24,240 Speaker 1: But I think that just like when we work in 531 00:29:24,280 --> 00:29:26,800 Speaker 1: coalition and we work on groups who have different theories 532 00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:29,320 Speaker 1: of change, when we work on groups have different ideologies 533 00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:32,080 Speaker 1: in different ways that they approach things, it's a really 534 00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:34,160 Speaker 1: good chance for those groups to kind of come together 535 00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:37,200 Speaker 1: and do what they do best, play to their strengths, 536 00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:40,240 Speaker 1: but also challenge their own ideologies and their own perceptions 537 00:29:40,240 --> 00:29:41,600 Speaker 1: of the world. And I've seen a lot of that 538 00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:44,240 Speaker 1: in this space. And I feel like Jamal can speak 539 00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:46,200 Speaker 1: to this really well too, probably better than I can 540 00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:49,320 Speaker 1: in some places. No, I'll just say plus one to 541 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:52,280 Speaker 1: all of that. UM. I think that it's definitely learning 542 00:29:52,320 --> 00:29:55,000 Speaker 1: curve UM and any kind of coalition working working with 543 00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:57,840 Speaker 1: other organizations is definitely learning curve UM, and we are 544 00:29:57,920 --> 00:30:00,160 Speaker 1: learning from each other to be able to build. But 545 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:04,240 Speaker 1: I think it's also important that UM. Having that coalition 546 00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:08,160 Speaker 1: is important because we pull from even from like we 547 00:30:08,200 --> 00:30:10,160 Speaker 1: talked about public input, right or we talked about a 548 00:30:10,240 --> 00:30:12,959 Speaker 1: rally that we're having, We're pulling from several different communities. 549 00:30:13,120 --> 00:30:15,560 Speaker 1: We're pulling from several different areas of people who have 550 00:30:15,600 --> 00:30:19,320 Speaker 1: different interests, who can all make the event, the central event, 551 00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:21,720 Speaker 1: that much better than that much stronger. So we can 552 00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:25,400 Speaker 1: make so we can push, for example, a postponement of 553 00:30:25,400 --> 00:30:27,880 Speaker 1: the vote for three weeks, which has been unprecedented in Atlanta, 554 00:30:28,080 --> 00:30:31,080 Speaker 1: particularly for something that has to do with policing, right UM. 555 00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:34,920 Speaker 1: So I think that there was lessons learned within coalition 556 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:37,680 Speaker 1: building UM that are always going to be challenges. But 557 00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:39,440 Speaker 1: I think the other and I think that what we 558 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:41,520 Speaker 1: also learned is that it's important that you know, we 559 00:30:41,600 --> 00:30:43,920 Speaker 1: come into this work in the particular lane of this 560 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:47,600 Speaker 1: work right. UM. You know, community builders might have had 561 00:30:47,760 --> 00:30:51,280 Speaker 1: particular I have a lot of experience working with UM 562 00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:54,360 Speaker 1: anti police violence, right, UM, we don't have a whole 563 00:30:54,360 --> 00:31:00,480 Speaker 1: lot of experience with environmental justice or environmental UM issues 564 00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:03,600 Speaker 1: or advocacy UM in that same type of way, So 565 00:31:03,640 --> 00:31:05,440 Speaker 1: we might not be tapped in or even equipped to 566 00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:08,080 Speaker 1: be able to have those types of conversations with people. UM. 567 00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:10,000 Speaker 1: But we also know, but we're also a place based 568 00:31:10,120 --> 00:31:13,280 Speaker 1: organization in the area, so that we also have a 569 00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:16,440 Speaker 1: lot of experience talking to people in our community, knowing 570 00:31:16,480 --> 00:31:18,640 Speaker 1: to the issues that are in our community and being 571 00:31:18,680 --> 00:31:22,880 Speaker 1: able to uh make folks or have folks be aware 572 00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:25,320 Speaker 1: of what's going on that affects their lives. So like, 573 00:31:25,560 --> 00:31:27,600 Speaker 1: a lot of this I think is also people bringing 574 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:30,480 Speaker 1: in that information UM for lack of a better term, 575 00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:32,360 Speaker 1: staying in their lane for what it is, at their 576 00:31:32,360 --> 00:31:36,080 Speaker 1: expertise is so that they can contribute their expertise to 577 00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:38,880 Speaker 1: uh the coalition to be able to keep on building 578 00:31:38,960 --> 00:31:42,560 Speaker 1: that out right, Yeah, what has the fight looked like 579 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:44,480 Speaker 1: so far? Like, well, what kind of organizing has been 580 00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:48,400 Speaker 1: done with this goal in mind the past few months 581 00:31:48,560 --> 00:31:52,840 Speaker 1: or even longer. A lot of things actually, UM, we 582 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:55,640 Speaker 1: are doing a lot of things this weekend. In particular, 583 00:31:56,320 --> 00:32:00,800 Speaker 1: UM CMB is holding a rally in front of Coca 584 00:32:00,840 --> 00:32:07,240 Speaker 1: Cola headquarters on Friday. Sunrise is doing a people's march 585 00:32:07,960 --> 00:32:11,600 Speaker 1: UM on Freedom Park Trail UM just to kind of 586 00:32:11,640 --> 00:32:14,920 Speaker 1: attract pedestrian attention. There are going to be banner drops 587 00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:17,080 Speaker 1: around the city and the art has played a critical 588 00:32:17,200 --> 00:32:21,080 Speaker 1: role in all of this work. UM Metro Atlanta ds 589 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:24,160 Speaker 1: A has been running canvases every weekend for the last 590 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:29,120 Speaker 1: three months. UM we held phone banks. We held UM 591 00:32:29,160 --> 00:32:34,080 Speaker 1: a really powerful people's town hall where basically we actually 592 00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:37,280 Speaker 1: invited people up to the mic and UM said, you 593 00:32:37,360 --> 00:32:40,040 Speaker 1: have two minutes tell us what your opinion is on 594 00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:42,719 Speaker 1: cop city and your community and how you feel about it. 595 00:32:42,760 --> 00:32:45,640 Speaker 1: Because city Council, the APF they're not doing it, so 596 00:32:45,640 --> 00:32:47,120 Speaker 1: we're going to give you the space to do that. 597 00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:50,360 Speaker 1: And that was live streamed and made available. UM. We 598 00:32:50,440 --> 00:32:56,520 Speaker 1: had UM the Spanish speaking community participated through an organization 599 00:32:56,560 --> 00:32:59,840 Speaker 1: called bod latin X, who did a bilingual panel with 600 00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:03,400 Speaker 1: captioning to kind of educate folks on the issue. So 601 00:33:03,440 --> 00:33:05,400 Speaker 1: a lot of it has just been going and just 602 00:33:05,560 --> 00:33:09,480 Speaker 1: physically talking to people, having conversations and then just taking 603 00:33:09,520 --> 00:33:11,520 Speaker 1: action in all these really powerful ways, and a lot 604 00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:15,160 Speaker 1: of that is culminating, I feel this weekend. But yeah, absolutely, 605 00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:18,640 Speaker 1: and I think all of that has been like the 606 00:33:19,080 --> 00:33:20,720 Speaker 1: main focus of all of this, and all of that 607 00:33:20,800 --> 00:33:23,239 Speaker 1: has been built off of just talking to people. At 608 00:33:23,240 --> 00:33:27,000 Speaker 1: the end of the day, organizing to me is recognizing 609 00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:30,880 Speaker 1: power structures talking but building people power and building uh 610 00:33:31,240 --> 00:33:37,040 Speaker 1: uh ways for bringing the fight back to the masses. Right. Um. 611 00:33:37,120 --> 00:33:39,760 Speaker 1: So even like right before this call, uh CMB was 612 00:33:39,800 --> 00:33:44,560 Speaker 1: out flying UM at modest stations at the UM, the 613 00:33:44,600 --> 00:33:48,880 Speaker 1: au c UM and other locations to make sure that 614 00:33:48,920 --> 00:33:52,040 Speaker 1: people are aware that like this is happening. Um. And 615 00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:54,000 Speaker 1: because that's the other thing, A lot of people, UM, 616 00:33:54,120 --> 00:33:56,960 Speaker 1: A lot more people know about it now, but particularly 617 00:33:56,960 --> 00:33:58,760 Speaker 1: when it first was coming out in the end. UM 618 00:33:58,800 --> 00:34:00,880 Speaker 1: even now some people don't aren't even aware of what's 619 00:34:00,920 --> 00:34:05,840 Speaker 1: going on, but um, like it's been their biggest defense 620 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:10,160 Speaker 1: has been uh people not knowing about this, about this 621 00:34:10,280 --> 00:34:12,640 Speaker 1: ordinance trying to be passed and trying to do it 622 00:34:12,719 --> 00:34:16,000 Speaker 1: in under the veil of darkness. And the more we're 623 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:19,480 Speaker 1: able to expose them, the more we're able to get it, 624 00:34:20,040 --> 00:34:22,720 Speaker 1: the higher likelihood we are able to stop it, um 625 00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:26,400 Speaker 1: and so um. I think, yeah, it's extremely important that 626 00:34:26,440 --> 00:34:28,799 Speaker 1: when we're when we're talking about any type of organizing, 627 00:34:28,840 --> 00:34:30,759 Speaker 1: we have to bring it back to the people and 628 00:34:31,120 --> 00:34:35,840 Speaker 1: making sure that we're uh, you know, you know, really 629 00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:39,000 Speaker 1: living up to the words like all power to the people. 630 00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:53,759 Speaker 1: Have you seen any effects so far from the order? 631 00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:58,319 Speaker 1: I know it's it's always difficult to gauge the effectiveness 632 00:34:58,480 --> 00:35:01,399 Speaker 1: of any activistsm Um, but have have you seen any 633 00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:04,120 Speaker 1: changes either? And like I know you mentioned like perception 634 00:35:04,480 --> 00:35:06,200 Speaker 1: and then people being aware of this project, but have 635 00:35:06,239 --> 00:35:10,320 Speaker 1: you seen anything else happen um, whether on like whether 636 00:35:10,440 --> 00:35:14,879 Speaker 1: you know through the like legislative process or just through 637 00:35:15,200 --> 00:35:17,879 Speaker 1: like coverage. Yeah, Like what what's going to get? So far? 638 00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:20,680 Speaker 1: The major the major win is the is the postponement 639 00:35:20,680 --> 00:35:22,560 Speaker 1: in the vote, Like this was supposed to be voted 640 00:35:22,880 --> 00:35:26,040 Speaker 1: and passed. It was going to be passed three weeks ago, 641 00:35:26,360 --> 00:35:29,840 Speaker 1: right and for for them to delay it and frankly 642 00:35:29,840 --> 00:35:31,960 Speaker 1: they even said it they delayed it because they were like, 643 00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:34,600 Speaker 1: we're getting too much negative pressure. We want to get 644 00:35:34,880 --> 00:35:37,680 Speaker 1: we want to do more public opinion. Basically, they want 645 00:35:37,719 --> 00:35:40,719 Speaker 1: to put more propaganda out there for the police, um, 646 00:35:40,840 --> 00:35:43,480 Speaker 1: and try to have another vote when we think that 647 00:35:43,560 --> 00:35:45,160 Speaker 1: we can get more people on our side, because this 648 00:35:45,239 --> 00:35:47,400 Speaker 1: is an election season for Atlanta too, so a lot 649 00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:49,759 Speaker 1: of them might worry about their seats and they know 650 00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:51,239 Speaker 1: that we made a lot of noise about it, and 651 00:35:51,280 --> 00:35:52,880 Speaker 1: then we've got a lot of news coverage about it. 652 00:35:52,920 --> 00:35:55,080 Speaker 1: We've got a lot of people talking about this, and 653 00:35:55,120 --> 00:35:58,520 Speaker 1: so at this stage they're afraid that, you know, they 654 00:35:58,520 --> 00:36:02,080 Speaker 1: couldn't do this under the little darkness, and so now 655 00:36:02,239 --> 00:36:04,279 Speaker 1: people know about it in our upset about it. So 656 00:36:04,360 --> 00:36:06,719 Speaker 1: I think that in of itself, that's again, this is 657 00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:09,520 Speaker 1: the first time this is and this has happened in 658 00:36:09,520 --> 00:36:12,719 Speaker 1: the city of Atlanta um period where the city Council 659 00:36:12,760 --> 00:36:16,440 Speaker 1: has been scared based off of community based organizing, particularly 660 00:36:16,960 --> 00:36:18,920 Speaker 1: when it has to come to anything that has to 661 00:36:18,960 --> 00:36:22,160 Speaker 1: do with policing. Atlanta is the most surveiled city in 662 00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:25,680 Speaker 1: the country right um our police force. People talk about 663 00:36:25,680 --> 00:36:27,919 Speaker 1: it being the Black Mecca. People talk about it being, 664 00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:30,040 Speaker 1: you know, a black haven for a black Hollywood, a 665 00:36:30,040 --> 00:36:32,880 Speaker 1: black haven for black folks. It is the most surveiled 666 00:36:32,920 --> 00:36:35,799 Speaker 1: place in the in the in the country and city 667 00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:38,120 Speaker 1: in the country. And it's also and we are nowhere 668 00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:42,280 Speaker 1: close to being a stranger to police brutality and police killings. UM, 669 00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:45,480 Speaker 1: and we've seen that. UM. You know, I can name 670 00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:48,600 Speaker 1: a list of names just like uh that you know 671 00:36:48,840 --> 00:36:50,840 Speaker 1: have been murdered by the police just in the past 672 00:36:51,160 --> 00:36:56,359 Speaker 1: three years. Right, So yeah, I think that, I mean, 673 00:36:56,719 --> 00:37:01,239 Speaker 1: I think an organizer joker, an organizer question at this 674 00:37:01,239 --> 00:37:03,000 Speaker 1: point where people who have been working on this is 675 00:37:03,040 --> 00:37:06,320 Speaker 1: like where were you August sixteenth? Where were you? And 676 00:37:06,400 --> 00:37:10,360 Speaker 1: it happened when the vote was actually pushed because that 677 00:37:10,440 --> 00:37:13,839 Speaker 1: demonstrated a huge win for the people. It was like, 678 00:37:13,880 --> 00:37:17,759 Speaker 1: you know, organizers in Atlanta and this community and this 679 00:37:17,920 --> 00:37:21,799 Speaker 1: like these outcries and these like just these conversations and 680 00:37:21,840 --> 00:37:25,280 Speaker 1: this this anger at all culminated in this beautiful moment 681 00:37:25,280 --> 00:37:28,399 Speaker 1: where they said, like we can't pass this right now, 682 00:37:28,840 --> 00:37:31,640 Speaker 1: like we just actually can't do it. For me, I 683 00:37:31,680 --> 00:37:33,719 Speaker 1: was at a book club meeting and I saw on 684 00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:37,439 Speaker 1: Twitter and my brain was fuzzy for the next hour 685 00:37:37,800 --> 00:37:40,759 Speaker 1: because that that had never happened before and it was 686 00:37:40,840 --> 00:37:44,600 Speaker 1: just it was beautiful and yeah, and just like having 687 00:37:44,640 --> 00:37:49,600 Speaker 1: these conversations is just another like impact. The story went national. Um, 688 00:37:49,640 --> 00:37:52,600 Speaker 1: there was an article for The Intercept having conversations like 689 00:37:52,680 --> 00:37:56,560 Speaker 1: this one and just like and just being able to 690 00:37:56,600 --> 00:38:00,520 Speaker 1: tie this to like, like I've said a few times 691 00:38:00,600 --> 00:38:04,000 Speaker 1: during this during this conversation, just that that culture of 692 00:38:04,000 --> 00:38:08,239 Speaker 1: that culture that that like okayness with extraction and exploitation 693 00:38:08,360 --> 00:38:12,359 Speaker 1: of land and resources and people. And being able to 694 00:38:12,840 --> 00:38:15,200 Speaker 1: take this story national and take this story to other 695 00:38:15,280 --> 00:38:19,080 Speaker 1: places and say like, this is what happens in communities, 696 00:38:19,239 --> 00:38:21,680 Speaker 1: look into your own and see if it's happening there. 697 00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:25,200 Speaker 1: Like that is so inspiring that that's what builds movements. 698 00:38:25,239 --> 00:38:28,319 Speaker 1: So that was a really powerful one. Yeah, I think 699 00:38:28,640 --> 00:38:34,280 Speaker 1: something like having having that result is incredibly rare for 700 00:38:34,440 --> 00:38:36,479 Speaker 1: something like this, right, Like that is that's not something 701 00:38:36,520 --> 00:38:40,359 Speaker 1: that happens often, and that should be celebrated based on 702 00:38:40,560 --> 00:38:44,160 Speaker 1: what what you've been able to do so far. Um, 703 00:38:44,239 --> 00:38:46,360 Speaker 1: what is the fighting look like going forward in the 704 00:38:46,400 --> 00:38:49,400 Speaker 1: next and the next few weeks? Um? Is there a 705 00:38:49,480 --> 00:38:51,719 Speaker 1: date that they're planning to vote again already or is 706 00:38:51,719 --> 00:38:54,520 Speaker 1: that still kind of up in the air. Yeah, so 707 00:38:54,760 --> 00:38:58,360 Speaker 1: they're voting in on Tuesday, right, So, Um, that's why 708 00:38:58,560 --> 00:39:01,120 Speaker 1: you know, we're still fighting all the way up till 709 00:39:01,160 --> 00:39:03,840 Speaker 1: the end. Um. I think that at the end of 710 00:39:03,840 --> 00:39:08,960 Speaker 1: the day, Um, we have to recognize that, uh, you know, 711 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:12,279 Speaker 1: pressure Campaigns like this are important. We have to be 712 00:39:12,320 --> 00:39:14,000 Speaker 1: able to do them, but we also have to be 713 00:39:14,080 --> 00:39:15,440 Speaker 1: able to put our bodies on the line to be 714 00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:17,879 Speaker 1: able to just if if the city council, because again, 715 00:39:17,920 --> 00:39:20,000 Speaker 1: this isn't up to a vote of the people. This 716 00:39:20,040 --> 00:39:23,120 Speaker 1: is a vote of corporate interests that are in city 717 00:39:23,120 --> 00:39:25,600 Speaker 1: council members who are tied to corporate interests, so they 718 00:39:25,719 --> 00:39:28,680 Speaker 1: ultimately can still vote even the people for it, even 719 00:39:28,680 --> 00:39:30,960 Speaker 1: if the people don't want this to happen, right, And 720 00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:32,879 Speaker 1: so I think it also has to be even after 721 00:39:32,920 --> 00:39:36,239 Speaker 1: the vote that fight does. Let's say, if it does pass, right, 722 00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:38,560 Speaker 1: we're hoping that doesn't, But if it does pass, that 723 00:39:38,600 --> 00:39:40,480 Speaker 1: means that the fight doesn't end at that point. That 724 00:39:40,520 --> 00:39:42,400 Speaker 1: means that are that that the onus is then on 725 00:39:42,440 --> 00:39:44,680 Speaker 1: the people for us to organize even more because that 726 00:39:44,680 --> 00:39:46,719 Speaker 1: means we mean bodies on the line. That means that 727 00:39:46,760 --> 00:39:48,640 Speaker 1: we have to be able to physically say you're not 728 00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:52,680 Speaker 1: building this ship period um. And that's the next step 729 00:39:52,840 --> 00:39:55,719 Speaker 1: in the campaign. I'm speaking, this is speaking for you know, 730 00:39:55,880 --> 00:39:57,879 Speaker 1: myself at this point. I can't speak for the whole 731 00:39:57,880 --> 00:40:00,160 Speaker 1: coalition on this on this pace, but I think of 732 00:40:00,200 --> 00:40:01,719 Speaker 1: us are in the same are on the same boat 733 00:40:01,760 --> 00:40:04,680 Speaker 1: that like, after this vote, we still are in this fight, 734 00:40:04,800 --> 00:40:08,920 Speaker 1: whether whatever they regardless of what the outcome is. And 735 00:40:08,920 --> 00:40:10,960 Speaker 1: there's a lot of different avenues in terms of like 736 00:40:11,000 --> 00:40:14,440 Speaker 1: direct action and land offense and working more with indigenous 737 00:40:14,440 --> 00:40:18,280 Speaker 1: communities on the issue, and lawsuits on the environmental angle, 738 00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:21,160 Speaker 1: and even just the city council angle of just voting 739 00:40:21,160 --> 00:40:23,839 Speaker 1: out everybody who voted yes. And there's there's a lot 740 00:40:23,880 --> 00:40:26,359 Speaker 1: of different ways to take action after this. It just 741 00:40:26,719 --> 00:40:29,720 Speaker 1: depends on the results of the vote that is happening 742 00:40:29,719 --> 00:40:35,719 Speaker 1: on Tuesday. Yeah, yeah, that will be. Yeah, that's it's 743 00:40:35,760 --> 00:40:38,000 Speaker 1: it's as you guys said that it was going to be, 744 00:40:38,400 --> 00:40:43,000 Speaker 1: uh a very serious turning point in figuring out what 745 00:40:43,040 --> 00:40:47,040 Speaker 1: to do next. Um let's let's for a change, let's 746 00:40:47,080 --> 00:40:53,319 Speaker 1: be optimistic as just a fun practice that might us 747 00:40:53,760 --> 00:40:56,759 Speaker 1: What if um magically were not not magically because you 748 00:40:56,840 --> 00:40:59,600 Speaker 1: put a lot of a lot of hard work, but 749 00:40:59,680 --> 00:41:02,719 Speaker 1: like what if they um do vote no and the 750 00:41:02,840 --> 00:41:05,400 Speaker 1: and they and they don't, they don't build this projects? 751 00:41:05,840 --> 00:41:08,600 Speaker 1: Do you see any future for like the coalition, like 752 00:41:08,600 --> 00:41:11,160 Speaker 1: like like having having all these groups work together. Do 753 00:41:11,200 --> 00:41:13,320 Speaker 1: you see you taking up any other kind of projects? 754 00:41:13,360 --> 00:41:15,719 Speaker 1: Because like you know, getting a network like this is 755 00:41:15,840 --> 00:41:20,640 Speaker 1: very UM, it's very useful and unique, UM and as 756 00:41:20,719 --> 00:41:23,640 Speaker 1: you know, at times, at times very difficult. Do you 757 00:41:23,680 --> 00:41:27,160 Speaker 1: see any other kind of organizing potential for having this 758 00:41:27,320 --> 00:41:32,319 Speaker 1: interconnected kind of group of people. I honestly can't see 759 00:41:32,320 --> 00:41:35,720 Speaker 1: a world where we don't continue to have these conversations 760 00:41:35,920 --> 00:41:38,879 Speaker 1: and we don't continue to work together, and we don't 761 00:41:38,920 --> 00:41:43,440 Speaker 1: continue to tap into this like beautiful system of collective 762 00:41:43,480 --> 00:41:46,880 Speaker 1: care because honestly, we've it's felt like rushing to the 763 00:41:46,920 --> 00:41:50,120 Speaker 1: finish for the last three months. But like after we're 764 00:41:50,160 --> 00:41:52,960 Speaker 1: like focused on a particular campaign or particular issue, there's 765 00:41:52,960 --> 00:41:55,520 Speaker 1: gonna be other things to worry about. But also I'm 766 00:41:55,520 --> 00:41:57,520 Speaker 1: really hoping personally that we're going to be able to 767 00:41:57,520 --> 00:41:59,560 Speaker 1: take some time to slow down and process and have 768 00:41:59,600 --> 00:42:02,359 Speaker 1: conversation aations to talk about what just supporting each other 769 00:42:02,400 --> 00:42:05,560 Speaker 1: actually mean, what just supporting people in like a localized, 770 00:42:05,600 --> 00:42:11,680 Speaker 1: substantive intersectional manner actually look like. So my hope and 771 00:42:11,760 --> 00:42:17,000 Speaker 1: my wish and my UM goal is is absolutely yes, UM, 772 00:42:17,040 --> 00:42:19,440 Speaker 1: I hope that will continue to work together and in 773 00:42:19,520 --> 00:42:22,799 Speaker 1: lots of different ways, on lots of different projects, because 774 00:42:22,800 --> 00:42:25,360 Speaker 1: we don't really know what what at least for Sunrise. 775 00:42:25,400 --> 00:42:27,400 Speaker 1: We don't really know what we're going to focus on next, 776 00:42:27,560 --> 00:42:31,440 Speaker 1: but um, there's definitely a lot of work to do. 777 00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:34,600 Speaker 1: And I think just like what's really been powerful about 778 00:42:34,680 --> 00:42:37,760 Speaker 1: this many people coming together and this demonstration of people 779 00:42:37,800 --> 00:42:41,239 Speaker 1: power is that we're starting to shift the narrative, the 780 00:42:41,360 --> 00:42:47,040 Speaker 1: narrative that protection and um control equal safety and understanding 781 00:42:47,080 --> 00:42:50,440 Speaker 1: what safety actually means. And it's not just Sunrise and 782 00:42:50,440 --> 00:42:52,239 Speaker 1: Community with It builders in d s A and like 783 00:42:52,280 --> 00:42:55,239 Speaker 1: a couple of environmental groups. It's groups that have been 784 00:42:55,239 --> 00:42:58,760 Speaker 1: doing mutual aid work, groups that have been um directly 785 00:42:58,800 --> 00:43:01,520 Speaker 1: on the ground, like and and groups that have been 786 00:43:01,560 --> 00:43:05,160 Speaker 1: you know, working and fighting in in all of these 787 00:43:05,200 --> 00:43:09,360 Speaker 1: like tangible ways to just get people access to food 788 00:43:09,520 --> 00:43:13,960 Speaker 1: and water and transportation and the things that we actually need. 789 00:43:14,120 --> 00:43:16,600 Speaker 1: So I think that in terms of like actually shifting 790 00:43:16,640 --> 00:43:19,600 Speaker 1: the narrative and diverting resources to where they need to 791 00:43:19,600 --> 00:43:22,719 Speaker 1: be diverted, coalitions are a powerful tool, and I hope 792 00:43:22,719 --> 00:43:28,200 Speaker 1: we'll continue to use them. Yeah. Second to to all that, 793 00:43:28,280 --> 00:43:30,759 Speaker 1: I mean, I think that while we each have our 794 00:43:30,760 --> 00:43:33,759 Speaker 1: respective work, and I speak for CNB, we are Black 795 00:43:33,840 --> 00:43:36,719 Speaker 1: Radical Organization is dedicated to the Liberated Zone theory. Right 796 00:43:36,719 --> 00:43:39,520 Speaker 1: now are our focus is organizing within the Pittsburgh neighborhood 797 00:43:39,520 --> 00:43:42,160 Speaker 1: of Atlanta. But even as you can see with this 798 00:43:42,239 --> 00:43:45,959 Speaker 1: issue right with Cops City, Um, you know, Cops City 799 00:43:46,040 --> 00:43:48,880 Speaker 1: isn't necessarily in the neighborhood of Pittsburgh, but it was 800 00:43:48,920 --> 00:43:51,279 Speaker 1: the same ap D officers that killed Rashard Brooks in 801 00:43:51,280 --> 00:43:55,600 Speaker 1: our neighborhood last year. Right, So these all issues are 802 00:43:55,680 --> 00:44:00,040 Speaker 1: fall under the umbrella of capitalism and racial capitalism with 803 00:44:00,120 --> 00:44:02,279 Speaker 1: affects all of us. So when it comes to these 804 00:44:02,320 --> 00:44:05,560 Speaker 1: types of issues, we have to work in coalitions because 805 00:44:05,600 --> 00:44:08,200 Speaker 1: that's what's going to be able to make us be 806 00:44:08,280 --> 00:44:11,399 Speaker 1: that much stronger because we all are affected by these uh, 807 00:44:11,480 --> 00:44:15,759 Speaker 1: these these intersectional systems. So UM, I definitely think that, Um, 808 00:44:15,800 --> 00:44:17,399 Speaker 1: you know, while it might not be on every single 809 00:44:17,400 --> 00:44:20,120 Speaker 1: project that we work on with each other on because 810 00:44:20,160 --> 00:44:22,880 Speaker 1: we all have our specialties in our our niches of 811 00:44:23,000 --> 00:44:26,840 Speaker 1: areas of work. UM, when it comes to intersectional issues 812 00:44:26,880 --> 00:44:29,400 Speaker 1: like this that are big, there are that affect all 813 00:44:29,440 --> 00:44:32,320 Speaker 1: of us in different ways. UM I could definitely, I 814 00:44:32,320 --> 00:44:35,200 Speaker 1: definitely as being able to work within coalitions and continuing 815 00:44:35,239 --> 00:44:37,080 Speaker 1: that momentum and work that we've built off with this 816 00:44:37,160 --> 00:44:39,560 Speaker 1: cops of the effort. Is there anything you want to 817 00:44:39,560 --> 00:44:41,360 Speaker 1: say to people who are outside of Atlanta anyway they 818 00:44:41,360 --> 00:44:45,640 Speaker 1: can show support. UM. I think one thing that I 819 00:44:45,680 --> 00:44:50,400 Speaker 1: can add that maybe is a little bit more generalized, is, UM, 820 00:44:50,440 --> 00:44:52,759 Speaker 1: I know that there's a lot of fear right now, 821 00:44:52,880 --> 00:44:54,480 Speaker 1: and there's a lot of anger right now, and there's 822 00:44:54,480 --> 00:44:56,040 Speaker 1: a lot of hurt right now, and it feels like 823 00:44:56,080 --> 00:44:59,160 Speaker 1: our rights are being attacked on every front with you 824 00:44:59,200 --> 00:45:03,040 Speaker 1: know O we weight in Texas and issues like cop 825 00:45:03,080 --> 00:45:06,560 Speaker 1: City and militarization and expansion of policing in the eviction 826 00:45:06,600 --> 00:45:09,040 Speaker 1: moratorium and all of these things. And I know that 827 00:45:09,080 --> 00:45:12,520 Speaker 1: it can seem very daunting. And I guess my my 828 00:45:12,680 --> 00:45:15,279 Speaker 1: thing that I want to say to people is this 829 00:45:15,360 --> 00:45:20,759 Speaker 1: is not the time to disengage. Everybody who supports and 830 00:45:20,800 --> 00:45:23,880 Speaker 1: seeks to promote and who is protected by the status 831 00:45:24,040 --> 00:45:27,919 Speaker 1: quo wants you to disengage, don't do it. Come fight 832 00:45:27,960 --> 00:45:31,400 Speaker 1: with us in your community, in our community, anywhere we 833 00:45:31,480 --> 00:45:36,319 Speaker 1: need you. Yeah. Absolutely, I will double down on that 834 00:45:36,320 --> 00:45:39,440 Speaker 1: point to say, Yeah, we could say that again and 835 00:45:39,440 --> 00:45:42,280 Speaker 1: again that it's a point that always needs to be reiterated, 836 00:45:42,719 --> 00:45:46,839 Speaker 1: reiterated more often. Yeah, is there any is there any 837 00:45:46,880 --> 00:45:50,359 Speaker 1: place UM people can do any financial support from from 838 00:45:50,400 --> 00:45:55,000 Speaker 1: far away that people can assist either through legal funds 839 00:45:55,040 --> 00:45:58,959 Speaker 1: or various other means. Yes, so I've do a few 840 00:45:59,320 --> 00:46:01,200 Speaker 1: I don't know communit movement bilities. We have a donate 841 00:46:01,200 --> 00:46:03,640 Speaker 1: page if fuel to our website Community Movement Builders dot org. 842 00:46:04,200 --> 00:46:06,399 Speaker 1: There's a donate tab you can donate directly through there. 843 00:46:06,440 --> 00:46:10,040 Speaker 1: You can also donate to our cash up cash app 844 00:46:10,120 --> 00:46:14,400 Speaker 1: that's Dollar Signs cmb O, r G c mb org UM, 845 00:46:14,440 --> 00:46:17,759 Speaker 1: but also Atlanta Bail Fund is also is always an 846 00:46:17,760 --> 00:46:21,960 Speaker 1: important resource UM if folks are taking arrest of different 847 00:46:22,040 --> 00:46:26,280 Speaker 1: direct actions in different protests UM. I've had several comrades 848 00:46:26,320 --> 00:46:28,960 Speaker 1: who have gone to who have who have taken the 849 00:46:29,080 --> 00:46:33,240 Speaker 1: rest for very variety for a variety of actions, and 850 00:46:33,840 --> 00:46:36,960 Speaker 1: we do rely on that as a source for us 851 00:46:36,960 --> 00:46:39,200 Speaker 1: to be able to make sure that we're still you know, 852 00:46:39,560 --> 00:46:42,640 Speaker 1: able to UM, you know, live and breathe and survive 853 00:46:42,719 --> 00:46:46,720 Speaker 1: another day in this capitalist, at racist as UM country 854 00:46:46,719 --> 00:46:49,840 Speaker 1: that we live within. I want to plug UM donating 855 00:46:49,880 --> 00:46:53,920 Speaker 1: to and supporting the Atlanta Homeless Union UM, which formed 856 00:46:54,000 --> 00:46:59,240 Speaker 1: this summer and has been doing an incredible credical work UM. 857 00:46:59,280 --> 00:47:03,440 Speaker 1: I also want to plug mainline Zene on Instagram and Twitter, 858 00:47:04,000 --> 00:47:09,080 Speaker 1: and UH they have been critical in UM actual like 859 00:47:09,719 --> 00:47:14,279 Speaker 1: anti fascist news coverage and just kind of telling the 860 00:47:14,280 --> 00:47:17,600 Speaker 1: truth on a lot of these issues. Fantastic and I 861 00:47:17,640 --> 00:47:19,880 Speaker 1: want to thank thank thank you too so much for 862 00:47:20,640 --> 00:47:24,640 Speaker 1: uh coming on to talk about UM what what what 863 00:47:24,719 --> 00:47:29,000 Speaker 1: you'll have been working on UM. Yeah, it's it's very important. 864 00:47:29,040 --> 00:47:32,239 Speaker 1: I'm happy that more people can know about it UM 865 00:47:32,239 --> 00:47:36,640 Speaker 1: in the future and thinking thinking less optimistic if if 866 00:47:36,680 --> 00:47:39,960 Speaker 1: they do vote to continue UM. I'm hoping that we 867 00:47:40,080 --> 00:47:43,479 Speaker 1: can UM get some people down to Atlanta to help 868 00:47:43,560 --> 00:47:46,640 Speaker 1: with whatever direct action organizing is going to be is 869 00:47:46,640 --> 00:47:50,880 Speaker 1: going to be happening to to to prevent this UM physically. 870 00:47:51,400 --> 00:47:54,440 Speaker 1: So yeah, I mean there's no matter the result, there's 871 00:47:54,480 --> 00:47:56,600 Speaker 1: always going to be more struggle. There's always going to 872 00:47:56,640 --> 00:47:59,719 Speaker 1: be more stuff to do. UM. Yeah. And just thank 873 00:48:00,040 --> 00:48:04,360 Speaker 1: thank you guys for talking about this absolutely, thank you 874 00:48:04,360 --> 00:48:09,239 Speaker 1: for having this on. And with that that wraps up 875 00:48:09,280 --> 00:48:12,759 Speaker 1: our talk with the wonderful folks from the Defend the 876 00:48:12,760 --> 00:48:16,839 Speaker 1: Atlanta Forest Coalition. UH. They had their plugs there that 877 00:48:16,920 --> 00:48:20,319 Speaker 1: you can I recommend you following UM if you want 878 00:48:20,320 --> 00:48:23,920 Speaker 1: to keep track on the movement specifically and what's going on. 879 00:48:24,000 --> 00:48:28,080 Speaker 1: You can also check out their social media's. You can 880 00:48:28,200 --> 00:48:32,080 Speaker 1: check Defend a t L Forest on Twitter. Can also 881 00:48:32,160 --> 00:48:36,480 Speaker 1: check out the community Movement Builders at Community m v 882 00:48:36,719 --> 00:48:39,719 Speaker 1: T on Twitter, and you can find Sunrise Atlanta at 883 00:48:40,000 --> 00:48:45,600 Speaker 1: Sunrise m v m T a t L. So that 884 00:48:45,840 --> 00:48:49,520 Speaker 1: is the discussion. Stay tuned for more news on the 885 00:48:49,560 --> 00:48:53,120 Speaker 1: Atlanta forest and the cop City Project will be covering 886 00:48:53,160 --> 00:48:55,560 Speaker 1: this in the next few you know, in the next 887 00:48:55,560 --> 00:48:58,640 Speaker 1: few episodes, probably in the next few weeks, and if 888 00:48:58,680 --> 00:49:00,640 Speaker 1: they vote yes to continue with I'm sure we'll be 889 00:49:00,680 --> 00:49:03,280 Speaker 1: reporting there in person at some point. Thanks for listening, 890 00:49:03,520 --> 00:49:06,279 Speaker 1: and we have three yesh more episodes coming up this week, 891 00:49:06,600 --> 00:49:14,120 Speaker 1: so stay tuned for that. Goodbye. It Could Happen Here 892 00:49:14,200 --> 00:49:16,800 Speaker 1: is a production of cool Zone Media. For more podcasts 893 00:49:16,840 --> 00:49:19,440 Speaker 1: from cool Zone Media, visit our website cool zone media 894 00:49:19,480 --> 00:49:21,319 Speaker 1: dot com or check us out on the I Heart 895 00:49:21,360 --> 00:49:24,400 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 896 00:49:24,960 --> 00:49:27,080 Speaker 1: You can find sources for It Could Happen here, updated 897 00:49:27,160 --> 00:49:30,640 Speaker 1: monthly at cool zone media dot com slash sources. Thanks 898 00:49:30,640 --> 00:49:31,160 Speaker 1: for listening.