1 00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: Welcome back to it could happen here. I'm Garrison Davis. 2 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:11,800 Speaker 1: This is part two of my mini series about what's 3 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:15,240 Speaker 1: been happening this summer in Atlanta to stop cop City. 4 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: Last episode we left off with the attempted march from 5 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:22,439 Speaker 1: Gresham Park to Entrenchman Creek Park, which some might say 6 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:25,960 Speaker 1: was a disappointment, but it also gave everyone more clarity 7 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:28,760 Speaker 1: about the current state of these types of direct action 8 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:33,319 Speaker 1: marches in Atlanta and the necessity for evolution. The main 9 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 1: event on Thursday, June twenty ninth was a protest outside 10 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:40,519 Speaker 1: the Home Depot in the upscale retail district off of 11 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:43,920 Speaker 1: Ponce de Leon Avenue. Home Depot is one of the 12 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 1: Atlanta Police Foundation's financial backers. 13 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 2: There had been a rumor that Home Depot was going 14 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:51,279 Speaker 2: to be close earlier in the day. I got there 15 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 2: four thirty. It wasn't closed, so I didn't see any signage. 16 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 2: So I went and parked my car and came back 17 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:01,120 Speaker 2: and like, I think I got out there for fifty 18 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 2: and people were starting to line up along the road, like, uh, 19 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:07,680 Speaker 2: there's a Starbucks. And they were lining up along ponts 20 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:11,279 Speaker 2: next to the Starbucks. And you know, I'm I'm talking 21 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:14,800 Speaker 2: to them watching this. They're chanting, they're they're pulling out banners, 22 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 2: and we get a call that they are arresting Lorraine Fontana. 23 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 2: So Lorraine Fontana is a seventy six year old activist 24 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 2: in Atlanta, and she's great like she she pops up everywhere. 25 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 2: She's beloved by everyone. And so we get this call 26 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 2: that Lorraine Fontana is being arrested, and I bolts as 27 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 2: far as my little legs will take me, and then 28 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 2: I have to stop and catch my breath, like right 29 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 2: before I get there. But Lorrain and one other person 30 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 2: were arrested in the parking lot right outside the Home 31 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 2: Depot's store. 32 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 3: Called for brays here and why anybody protests in the. 33 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:57,280 Speaker 2: Store when they start reading now the layer I asked, 34 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 2: the boy handed the practices and the time I also. 35 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 4: Learning telling them how people cannot want their faces or side. 36 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 1: After protesters left the store, they stood by a corner 37 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 1: in the parking lot to holding signs, where they were 38 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 1: then approached by APD officers, who then arrested two people 39 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 1: without warning. 40 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 2: It does kind of just show APD like basically doing 41 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 2: exactly what they would with anyone, except in this case 42 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 2: it's a seventy six year old woman who's like five 43 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:33,120 Speaker 2: or four eleven or something like. 44 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:36,960 Speaker 1: That, Like, yeah, no, I mean it was a lot 45 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 1: of people were like surprised that this happened, Like how 46 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:42,959 Speaker 1: could the police do this? I think others were like 47 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 1: not as surprised, be like no, it's the APD. They 48 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: like it was a good demonstration for people being like 49 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:52,520 Speaker 1: showing that they do not care. They don't really care 50 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:54,720 Speaker 1: if you're a seventy seven year old woman or if 51 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 1: you're a nineteen year old eco terrorist, they're gonna treat. 52 00:02:58,360 --> 00:02:59,839 Speaker 2: You roughly the same. Yeah. 53 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 1: After Lorraine's arrest, more and more people began showing up 54 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 1: across the street from Home Depot calling for their divestment 55 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 1: from the Atlanta Police Foundation. 56 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:13,359 Speaker 2: It got up to like thirty maybe forty people mostly 57 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:16,360 Speaker 2: just like chanting on the sidewalks sidewatch, but then they 58 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 2: started to like walk back and forth when when the 59 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:22,920 Speaker 2: crosswalk was like there, yeah, and they were they were 60 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:25,639 Speaker 2: pushing the limit, like seeing seeing what they could get. 61 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 2: But there was also my favorite part was the APD 62 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 2: officer who was sitting. 63 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:29,920 Speaker 5: In his. 64 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 2: I'm sorry. My favorite part was, fuck, I gotta do 65 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 2: this about breaking down in the middle. I did hear 66 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 2: a little bit about this? All right? Take three? Take three? 67 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:44,120 Speaker 5: Uh. 68 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 2: There was the APD officer that was sitting in his 69 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 2: ford explore on Ponts and at one point he calls 70 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 2: out on his you know, loud speaker, I'm not an idiot. 71 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 2: I swear I'm not an idiot. While he's backing up 72 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 2: on Ponts with his lights on, just like what are 73 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 2: you doing? People are asking a lot of questions. 74 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: They are already answered, I'm on an idiots shirt. 75 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 2: Oh it was great. So I caught like the briefest 76 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 2: snippet of that audio, thankfully. That's funny. 77 00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:22,480 Speaker 1: On Thursday night, after the Home Depot rally, there was 78 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:25,920 Speaker 1: a jail vigil around ten pm for Lorraine at the 79 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:28,120 Speaker 1: Rice Street Fulton County Jail. 80 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 2: So there there are two jails. There's Atlanta City Detention 81 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:34,880 Speaker 2: Center and then there's Fulton County Jail, which we just 82 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:38,600 Speaker 2: call Rice Street because it's off off Rice Street. So 83 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:42,360 Speaker 2: when you get charged with criminal trespassed, it's like a 84 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 2: misdemeanor charge, and typically you would go to Atlanta City 85 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 2: Detention Center, which still a jail is still terrible, but 86 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 2: relatively like better. Okay, Fulton County Jail is you know 87 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:57,480 Speaker 2: atrocious it is, you know Leshawan Thompson. Of course that 88 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 2: the guy who was eating a lot in his cell 89 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 2: by bugs because of neglect, that is Rice Street Jail. 90 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:07,560 Speaker 2: That's the Fulton County Jail. That's the Fulton County Jail. 91 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:11,520 Speaker 2: So we get worried that Lorraine is at Fulton County 92 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:17,480 Speaker 2: Jail and not ACDC, which is pretty striking. So everybody 93 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 2: goes down to do a jail vigil and noise demo 94 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:21,720 Speaker 2: for context. 95 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:25,800 Speaker 1: Last September, Lashawan Thompson, a thirty five year old man, 96 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:29,200 Speaker 1: was found dead after spending three months in an infested 97 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:33,040 Speaker 1: Fulton County Jail psychiatric cell. His body was covered in 98 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:37,360 Speaker 1: a thousand bug bites and insects were found in his mouth, ears, nose, 99 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:41,440 Speaker 1: and all across his body. Such inhumane incidents are not 100 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:45,360 Speaker 1: in irregularity in Fulton County Jail. Just earlier this month, 101 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 1: a thirty five year old named Christopher Smith died in 102 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 1: Fulton County Jail. He had been held in custody since 103 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:56,679 Speaker 1: October sixth, twenty nineteen, without bond on several unspecified felony 104 00:05:56,800 --> 00:06:00,800 Speaker 1: and misdemeanor charges according to the County Sheriff's Office. Last month, 105 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 1: a nineteen year old girl died in Fulton County custody 106 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:07,679 Speaker 1: after being arrested on a minor misdemeanor charge. This past 107 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:10,919 Speaker 1: year alone, six people have died in the Fulton County 108 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:15,320 Speaker 1: jail system. People in Atlanta have been doing jail vigils 109 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 1: and noise demos for years and it's never really been 110 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:20,600 Speaker 1: a problem. Cops might tell people to move off to 111 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:22,840 Speaker 1: the side if the crowd gets to a certain size, 112 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 1: but they have typically gone on without issue. But this 113 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:29,679 Speaker 1: time Fulton County deputies came out and declared that people 114 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:33,040 Speaker 1: are not allowed to protest outside the jail and ordered 115 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:36,040 Speaker 1: everyone to completely leave the parking lot and go all 116 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 1: the way to the other side of this big hill 117 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:41,080 Speaker 1: off of Rice Street to jail property in order to 118 00:06:41,279 --> 00:06:45,839 Speaker 1: continue protesting, which no one was really keen on doing, 119 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 1: so this kind of game of chicken began. 120 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:53,280 Speaker 2: They eventually they pull on a bunch more sheriff's deputies 121 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:56,159 Speaker 2: and threatened arrest, So people started making their way up 122 00:06:56,200 --> 00:07:00,600 Speaker 2: the hill, linking arms and get to the top of 123 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 2: the hill and they're they're met with another group of 124 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:06,080 Speaker 2: protesters who had tried to come down, but they were 125 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:07,440 Speaker 2: stopped by police at the top of the hill. So 126 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:11,000 Speaker 2: now the crowd size like essentially doubled. Yeah, and the 127 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:14,119 Speaker 2: energy just goes through the roof. You know, both sides 128 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:19,200 Speaker 2: are just going back and forth. This This deputy is 129 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 2: like completely overmatched, doesn't really They didn't seem like Fulton 130 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 2: County had a plan. You know, usually APD or the 131 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 2: cab they have some sort of protest planned. Fulton was 132 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:32,520 Speaker 2: flying by the seat of their pants, and so all 133 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 2: of our cars were down at the bottom of the hill. 134 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:37,880 Speaker 2: They were back in the right street parking lot. And 135 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:41,400 Speaker 2: this this becomes like an issue because some of the 136 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 2: protesters cars are there, all of the media cars are there, 137 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:49,320 Speaker 2: like down at the bottom of this hill, and they're 138 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:52,480 Speaker 2: not letting anyone go down there. And this woman shows 139 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 2: up to like put I think money on her son's 140 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:57,200 Speaker 2: commissary car and they don't let her. Now she is 141 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:01,080 Speaker 2: like they're just shutting down j oracial loud, Yeah exactly. 142 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:06,920 Speaker 2: So they finally first they're like we're gonna let you 143 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:09,680 Speaker 2: go down one by one, and everyone's like hell no, 144 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:12,240 Speaker 2: like we are not trusting you. 145 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:16,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, sure, sure, sure, buddy, let's go, let's isolate isolated 146 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:21,120 Speaker 1: move through this police fortress in an isolated venor. 147 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:25,040 Speaker 2: Here. Uh So then they're like, okay, you can go 148 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:27,120 Speaker 2: as a group. Yeah, okay, as long as you have 149 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:28,560 Speaker 2: your vehicles down there, you can go as a group. 150 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:30,480 Speaker 2: So they slowly start to make their way down. 151 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:34,000 Speaker 6: They do not see in the next five minutes we 152 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 6: want to start. 153 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:37,480 Speaker 2: We have to do. They get all the way to 154 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:39,800 Speaker 2: the bottom hill. They're in the parking lot and just 155 00:08:39,920 --> 00:08:41,760 Speaker 2: like on the edge of where the cars are, and 156 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:45,719 Speaker 2: they kind of stop moving, and the shriff's deputy is like, yeah, 157 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:48,040 Speaker 2: I gotta keep moving, and so they start moving again 158 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 2: and then stop again, and then the shriff's deputy says, 159 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:56,000 Speaker 2: all right, get them. And so then the deputy start 160 00:08:56,040 --> 00:08:58,959 Speaker 2: moving in to make a rest. And quickly, you know this, 161 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:02,480 Speaker 2: this march kind of becomes this backward moving thing. Yeah 162 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 2: I can't see that. I'm moving my hands to showcasson, 163 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:09,600 Speaker 2: but it becomes this backward moving thing up up the hill. 164 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:11,200 Speaker 2: That's the bottom line. 165 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:14,120 Speaker 6: I couplot to be you in the street, who will 166 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:17,160 Speaker 6: be taking ample cush get out the street, Get. 167 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 1: Out the street, will be taking in the crowd was 168 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 1: able to leave before anyone was detained, but it was 169 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:27,319 Speaker 1: a quite tense situation. The sort of dynamic we saw 170 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:30,240 Speaker 1: at the jail vigil and home depot protest led it 171 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:33,840 Speaker 1: directly into the next event on Friday morning, a previously 172 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:38,360 Speaker 1: announced second protest outside of Cadence Bank in Midtown calling 173 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:41,400 Speaker 1: on Cadence Bank to cancel the Atlanta Polace Foundation's twenty 174 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:45,120 Speaker 1: million dollar construction loan. All Right, people had a protest 175 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:48,800 Speaker 1: on Friday morning at Cadence Bank in Midtown Atlanta. 176 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:50,440 Speaker 2: There's maybe like. 177 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:57,680 Speaker 1: Around a dozen people here, uh, chanting outside of the building. 178 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 1: Also about a dozen ap the officers walking walking down 179 00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:06,640 Speaker 1: from up the street, preparing to meet the crowd. They're 180 00:10:06,679 --> 00:10:10,760 Speaker 1: moving in closer that they're walking in again people still. 181 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:13,960 Speaker 1: I don't think anyone's even touched touched the class door. 182 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 1: Most of the people are just standing here on the sidewalk. 183 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:19,560 Speaker 2: You know that game you play with your cats where 184 00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:23,360 Speaker 2: they come at you but they stop when you're watching them. Yeah, 185 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:24,200 Speaker 2: that's the game we're playing. 186 00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:26,920 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, we turn away the cops 187 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:29,439 Speaker 1: advanced We like. This is also like half of like 188 00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:33,000 Speaker 1: the Loony Tunes gags. Is this they're doing a Michelin 189 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:35,760 Speaker 1: frog all right, and they're they're now on the King's 190 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:36,360 Speaker 1: Bank property. 191 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:39,679 Speaker 2: They're start starting to advance. 192 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:43,760 Speaker 1: Police were yelling at people that they couldn't touch any 193 00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:47,000 Speaker 1: of the steps leading up to the bank entrance, and 194 00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:50,320 Speaker 1: that you weren't allowed to lean against any hand rails 195 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:54,880 Speaker 1: because the metal pole was bank property. So once again 196 00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:57,680 Speaker 1: we got this little game of back and forth, except 197 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 1: one side has guns and the power to rescue. 198 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:04,679 Speaker 6: Property. 199 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:25,520 Speaker 1: This cup said in the crowds trying to incite a riot, 200 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:28,120 Speaker 1: it feels very much like what you saw I guess 201 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:28,720 Speaker 1: in Portland. 202 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:31,840 Speaker 2: Obviously I wasn't there. Where there's an object that becomes 203 00:11:31,880 --> 00:11:33,160 Speaker 2: this sacred goal and. 204 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:36,800 Speaker 1: Then you're you're battling over the thing because the thing 205 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:38,200 Speaker 1: has now been given. 206 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:42,199 Speaker 2: Given something like me actual physical like presence, and that 207 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:43,880 Speaker 2: is the thing that you are now fighting for. It 208 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:46,560 Speaker 2: becomes it becomes a symbolic in front of a building. 209 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:49,040 Speaker 2: It don't matter, but the police gave it significant. 210 00:11:49,080 --> 00:11:51,760 Speaker 1: Because the police turn it into this like symbolic thing, 211 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:54,080 Speaker 1: it now means more than a just just being stabbed. 212 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:57,040 Speaker 2: So there was this camera guy who like kept kind 213 00:11:57,040 --> 00:11:59,439 Speaker 2: of stepping up and like pushing the envelope. 214 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:02,640 Speaker 1: And eventually or activists put one foot on the steps, 215 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:04,480 Speaker 1: being like, Okay, if you're gonna come after us for 216 00:12:04,559 --> 00:12:06,439 Speaker 1: putting a foot on the bank steps. 217 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 2: Fine, come at us, like call the bluff. Yeah. 218 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:12,080 Speaker 1: So there was like people yelling at the CoP's face 219 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:16,160 Speaker 1: for like forty five minutes, maybe maybe longer. Time always 220 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:18,640 Speaker 1: stretches during these sorts of things. It's hard to start 221 00:12:18,679 --> 00:12:20,480 Speaker 1: to keep it's hard to keep a sense of like 222 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:24,320 Speaker 1: temporal stability, even just during during weeks of action. In general, 223 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:26,360 Speaker 1: it's always hard to keep a sense of temporal stability. 224 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:29,240 Speaker 1: That's the sense of time warps around. Days blend into 225 00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:31,280 Speaker 1: each other. A day feels like a week, a week 226 00:12:31,280 --> 00:12:35,040 Speaker 1: feels like a day. It's it's very it gets very fuzzy. 227 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:37,760 Speaker 2: It gets incredibly trippy, and you're like yeah, and the 228 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:41,360 Speaker 2: exhaustion right like just compounds. There's a lot of things 229 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:42,400 Speaker 2: that that feed into it. 230 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:45,480 Speaker 1: Despite about a dozen people putting their foot on the 231 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:49,440 Speaker 1: sacred steps, the police did not decide to arrest anyone 232 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:53,199 Speaker 1: at this protest, and after about an hour of disruption, 233 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:54,760 Speaker 1: the crowd departed. 234 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:06,800 Speaker 2: The week of action. 235 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:09,520 Speaker 1: Ended much like the last one, with the final rally 236 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:14,160 Speaker 1: being the Youth March back at Brownwood Park. Lorraine just 237 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:17,000 Speaker 1: got out on bail and spoke about the jail conditions 238 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:19,360 Speaker 1: to the crowd of one hundred or so people gathered 239 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:21,439 Speaker 1: in the park on the morning of July first. 240 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:25,840 Speaker 3: And I don't want people to forget that our movement 241 00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:28,440 Speaker 3: is connected with lots of other stone, one of. 242 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:30,760 Speaker 2: Which is prison abolition. 243 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:37,080 Speaker 7: And the idea that our so quote criminal justice system 244 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:40,959 Speaker 7: is such that people get just shoved behind bars. 245 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:42,880 Speaker 3: We don't want to see them. We don't care what 246 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:43,719 Speaker 3: happens to them. 247 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:47,120 Speaker 4: And even if they're not hadn't gone to trial yet. 248 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:50,640 Speaker 3: And they're in a jail awaiting hearing or awaiting a. 249 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:53,400 Speaker 2: Trial, they're treated like they already want the. 250 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:56,640 Speaker 5: People that they're criminals, we don't. 251 00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:58,199 Speaker 1: Have to care as much about them. 252 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:01,120 Speaker 2: They're kind of the people. 253 00:14:01,559 --> 00:14:04,360 Speaker 1: Lorraine said that she was in a crowded holding cell 254 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:07,920 Speaker 1: with twenty two other women and just a few metal benches, 255 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:11,600 Speaker 1: nothing else. This is where nearly two dozen people had 256 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:14,520 Speaker 1: to sleep, had to eat, use the bathroom, all in 257 00:14:14,640 --> 00:14:18,360 Speaker 1: one place for days on end. Women were trying to 258 00:14:18,679 --> 00:14:21,600 Speaker 1: sit or sleep on either of the hard benches or 259 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:25,440 Speaker 1: the floor. Some were attempting to use menstrul pads in 260 00:14:25,560 --> 00:14:28,640 Speaker 1: place of a mattress. If they were lucky enough to 261 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:31,440 Speaker 1: be asleep. They were woken up at two am for 262 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 1: breakfast and then again at four am for head counting. 263 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:37,680 Speaker 3: They were so full, I didn't have bloom for the 264 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:40,960 Speaker 3: people that were being arrested, so they were in this 265 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:41,840 Speaker 3: holding sale. 266 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:44,520 Speaker 2: Some of them been there three days. 267 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:48,240 Speaker 7: It was something like eighteen feet by six feet across. 268 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:52,840 Speaker 2: The last six feet were behind a divider that had 269 00:14:52,920 --> 00:14:56,040 Speaker 2: a toy as toy, so it was even less. The 270 00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:59,800 Speaker 2: prison system is every day doing these kind of being 271 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:02,680 Speaker 2: u and treatment to people that get arrested or not 272 00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:03,920 Speaker 2: yet guilty of anything. 273 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:08,680 Speaker 1: Student organizers and parents also briefly spoke on why people 274 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:10,440 Speaker 1: are fighting against cop City. 275 00:15:11,040 --> 00:15:12,480 Speaker 2: I don't want to live in a city. 276 00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:14,080 Speaker 5: I don't want to live in a country in a 277 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:18,360 Speaker 5: world that prioritizes the protection of private property through murder 278 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:22,840 Speaker 5: in state violence over the fundamental building blocks of life. Okay, 279 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:26,040 Speaker 5: I think we need to be focusing on giving people 280 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:29,640 Speaker 5: places to live, giving people food to eat, water to drink, 281 00:15:30,400 --> 00:15:33,320 Speaker 5: not on giving the police playgrounds where they can blow. 282 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:34,560 Speaker 2: Up bombs and shoot their guns. 283 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:38,360 Speaker 5: And that's why all of us together here need to 284 00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:42,640 Speaker 5: come together be as one here in beautiful community, with children, 285 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:47,000 Speaker 5: with elders, everything in between, doing this amazing community. I 286 00:15:47,080 --> 00:15:48,640 Speaker 5: love being out here with y'all. It's so much fun 287 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:51,240 Speaker 5: to just like be working the popcorn machines and all that. 288 00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:55,160 Speaker 5: And that's why we're all here together, because we know 289 00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:58,160 Speaker 5: that community is the key for us to stop cop City, 290 00:15:58,520 --> 00:15:59,560 Speaker 5: Stop cop City. 291 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:02,360 Speaker 2: And so as we fight to. 292 00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:04,800 Speaker 3: Stop top City, we are fighting for investment in the 293 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:09,720 Speaker 3: things that make families thrive in this city. Were telling 294 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:12,120 Speaker 3: all dreat chickens, were telling the little police foundations, and 295 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:15,600 Speaker 3: we command that money be reinvested, and they're housing for 296 00:16:15,680 --> 00:16:20,400 Speaker 3: the people, child care for the people, education for the people, 297 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:22,800 Speaker 3: health care for the people. But those are the things 298 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:28,120 Speaker 3: that make our communities truly safe. And if they won't 299 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:29,880 Speaker 3: give it to us, we're gonna build those networks of 300 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:34,040 Speaker 3: care in our communities ourselves. That is what makes days 301 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:36,520 Speaker 3: like today so beautiful, the fact that the people have 302 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:38,920 Speaker 3: the capacity to feel and feed the people. The people 303 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:41,040 Speaker 3: have the capacity to make sure that people say hi, drating. 304 00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:43,600 Speaker 3: People have the capacity to give each other medical care. 305 00:16:43,680 --> 00:16:46,280 Speaker 3: And as we build out those networks of care, we 306 00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:48,440 Speaker 3: make the government irrelevance. 307 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:52,320 Speaker 2: You try to tell us what they do all day long. 308 00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:56,600 Speaker 3: But if we continue to build people's power, well they 309 00:16:56,680 --> 00:16:58,520 Speaker 3: have to say don't even matter. 310 00:16:59,280 --> 00:17:00,400 Speaker 2: So are you ready to build that. 311 00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:00,920 Speaker 4: Kind of world? 312 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:05,400 Speaker 1: As people got ready to depart, the energy was noticeably 313 00:17:05,600 --> 00:17:09,760 Speaker 1: higher than most other events that week. All right, it 314 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:13,480 Speaker 1: is Saturday morning on July first. This is the last 315 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:17,520 Speaker 1: day of the sixth Week of Action. The Youth Rally 316 00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:20,800 Speaker 1: just left Brownwood Park and is now marching through East 317 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:25,639 Speaker 1: Atlanta Village. Shortly before the Youth Rally, news started to 318 00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:30,520 Speaker 1: circulate that early early that morning, just after midnight, several 319 00:17:30,680 --> 00:17:36,440 Speaker 1: Atlanta police motorcycles and cop cars suffered mysterious damages, which 320 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:40,359 Speaker 1: possibly could have contributed to the more bolsterous energy among 321 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:42,119 Speaker 1: some of the radical attendees. 322 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:49,200 Speaker 2: People are driving by and honking in support. 323 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:53,800 Speaker 1: As about seventy five people, maybe one hundred or marked 324 00:17:57,280 --> 00:18:00,560 Speaker 1: as about seventy five or one hundred people are our 325 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:03,000 Speaker 1: marching next to Metropolitan Avenue. 326 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:09,480 Speaker 2: Take a fire truck would pull their air horn. The 327 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:11,320 Speaker 2: fire trucks were kind of busy last night. 328 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:14,480 Speaker 1: Actually, I'm not sure the fire trucks were busy doing 329 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:18,240 Speaker 1: what There's well, it seems like a lot of police 330 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:20,240 Speaker 1: motorcycles were found to be set on fire at the 331 00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:22,160 Speaker 1: sight of the old Police Trading Academy. 332 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:25,280 Speaker 2: Sounded like some police suck cruisers were wrecked somewhere else 333 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:25,880 Speaker 2: in the city too. 334 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:28,880 Speaker 1: On Memorial Drive Southeast, it sounded like three cop cars 335 00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:29,879 Speaker 1: were also smashed up. 336 00:18:30,119 --> 00:18:35,000 Speaker 2: Is you think there's something going around? Is it contagious? So, yeah, 337 00:18:35,119 --> 00:18:38,239 Speaker 2: the fire crews were a little bit busy last night. 338 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:40,760 Speaker 2: Spontaneous vehicle vandalism. 339 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:45,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's certainly one way to end this week of action. 340 00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:55,080 Speaker 1: This definitely feels like the most positive part of the 341 00:18:55,119 --> 00:18:58,879 Speaker 1: Week of action so far. Yeah, people have been marching 342 00:18:58,920 --> 00:19:02,159 Speaker 1: for about twenty minutes now. The march is now turned 343 00:19:02,359 --> 00:19:09,800 Speaker 1: down Glenwood and is heading back towards Brownwood Park. No 344 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:13,439 Speaker 1: police presence at all so far. There was just complete 345 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:15,159 Speaker 1: I've not seen a single cop car in this in 346 00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:18,800 Speaker 1: this section of town. There's also three less cop cars 347 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:20,639 Speaker 1: in Atlanta than there usually is. 348 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:22,280 Speaker 2: So that might have something to do with it. It 349 00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:27,240 Speaker 2: was from this zone too, that the second one where 350 00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:29,359 Speaker 2: the cop cars are it was like a mile and 351 00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:32,640 Speaker 2: a half away. Yeah, it's very very close, but yeah, 352 00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:36,840 Speaker 2: very different than what we saw on last Saturday. Yes, 353 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:39,240 Speaker 2: where I like even on my way in I saw 354 00:19:39,320 --> 00:19:43,159 Speaker 2: APD here every you know twenty feet yeah, and do 355 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:48,360 Speaker 2: not see a single Nope. APD vehicle is notable. 356 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:52,120 Speaker 1: The youth rally that closed the last week of action 357 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:55,320 Speaker 1: in March kind of felt like the end of an era. 358 00:19:56,440 --> 00:19:59,800 Speaker 1: This one on July first felt very different, much more 359 00:19:59,880 --> 00:20:03,280 Speaker 1: like the beginning of a new era. After a very 360 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:06,520 Speaker 1: scattered week, the movement finally started to feel like it 361 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:10,000 Speaker 1: had multiple directions to grow. This week definitely started on 362 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:14,080 Speaker 1: I would say, a muted note, and it's ended with 363 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:17,199 Speaker 1: a bit more directionality for the future and a bit 364 00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:18,040 Speaker 1: more positivity. 365 00:20:18,080 --> 00:20:18,360 Speaker 2: I think. 366 00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:21,119 Speaker 1: I think people were able to think of ways that 367 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:24,879 Speaker 1: the movement can evolve and grow from here and recognize 368 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:27,879 Speaker 1: the necessity for that and now change and yet recognized 369 00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:30,640 Speaker 1: the necessity for change, and people are ready to continue 370 00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:33,480 Speaker 1: and evolve as the situation on the ground is also changing. 371 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:38,440 Speaker 2: And I mean adaptability was was a part of the 372 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:41,080 Speaker 2: movement from the get go. Yes, just I think we 373 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:44,879 Speaker 2: got the movement got very tied to certain modes of 374 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:47,080 Speaker 2: operation that are not available anymore. 375 00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:47,480 Speaker 7: Yep. 376 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:52,040 Speaker 1: You know, for the past like a few months, people 377 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:54,080 Speaker 1: have been it felt like people have been playing on 378 00:20:54,480 --> 00:20:57,879 Speaker 1: the police's like board, like they've been they've been following that, 379 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:02,560 Speaker 1: and both both of the actual last night and the 380 00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:04,280 Speaker 1: sort of talks that are happening throughout the city. 381 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:07,919 Speaker 2: I think that is probably going to change. All right. 382 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:10,359 Speaker 1: We are about a block away from Brownwood Park on 383 00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:16,159 Speaker 1: Portland Avenue and Gresham Avenue, where there is pizza and 384 00:21:16,359 --> 00:21:20,440 Speaker 1: water waiting. That is, that is I'm excited for water. 385 00:21:20,880 --> 00:21:22,679 Speaker 1: I don't think I can have hot pizza right now. 386 00:21:23,119 --> 00:21:27,280 Speaker 1: I think I would just faint, but cold water is certainly, certainly, 387 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:32,399 Speaker 1: enticely certainly. Yeah, and there's music back here in Brownwood. 388 00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:36,520 Speaker 1: Tables set up, giving out literature, giving out food, water, 389 00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:41,560 Speaker 1: lots of bubbles. Earlier, earlier, at the earlier, at the 390 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:44,200 Speaker 1: rally before the march, there was a water balloon fight 391 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:45,640 Speaker 1: which was very dangerous. 392 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:47,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, I left it. I don't know why you've stayed 393 00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:51,040 Speaker 2: around the water move. I took my laptop and left. 394 00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:52,760 Speaker 2: There was there was there was a few very close 395 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:55,720 Speaker 2: moments there. But yeah, no, there's food. 396 00:21:55,960 --> 00:22:00,240 Speaker 1: There's lots of signs, banners, lots of a lot of 397 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:03,840 Speaker 1: Little Caesar's pizza. There was much more energy here compared 398 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:06,160 Speaker 1: to the kickoff rally, which happened in the very same 399 00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:10,640 Speaker 1: park exactly a week beforehand, which felt sort of reversed 400 00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:14,160 Speaker 1: from the previous week of action this past March, which 401 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:16,359 Speaker 1: is interesting because like last week of action, you know, 402 00:22:16,600 --> 00:22:19,280 Speaker 1: the kickoff rally was like the biggest thing, was the 403 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:22,119 Speaker 1: biggest energy point, and the youth rally was kind of 404 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:24,840 Speaker 1: the more like muted clothes and this has kind of 405 00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:25,840 Speaker 1: been inversed. 406 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:29,280 Speaker 2: Which honestly for when you're looking at like what has 407 00:22:29,359 --> 00:22:33,040 Speaker 2: happened over the last few months, maybe reading leaning out 408 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:35,719 Speaker 2: with a high note is yeah, is the ideal. 409 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:38,320 Speaker 1: I like that We're also ending with the bouncy castle, 410 00:22:38,359 --> 00:22:39,600 Speaker 1: which is very very important. 411 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, for the full flip, we have to end with 412 00:22:43,640 --> 00:22:44,480 Speaker 2: the bouncy castle. 413 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:50,040 Speaker 1: Yes, although we should move the bouncy castle to eight 414 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:52,240 Speaker 1: ninety Memorial Drive Southeast, oh my god. 415 00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:52,919 Speaker 2: Stop. 416 00:22:56,400 --> 00:22:59,000 Speaker 1: After the youth rally, Matt and I got some coffee 417 00:22:59,359 --> 00:23:02,160 Speaker 1: in Eastern It's a village and talked about the broad 418 00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:05,000 Speaker 1: strokes of the week and the general state of the movement. 419 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:07,480 Speaker 1: Like I said, I think this week started with a 420 00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:11,159 Speaker 1: lot of questions being had and it's ended with some 421 00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:14,320 Speaker 1: of those questions being being answered and people figuring out 422 00:23:14,359 --> 00:23:16,600 Speaker 1: that to answer some of some of those other questions. 423 00:23:17,359 --> 00:23:20,560 Speaker 1: The answer will will will take the form of actions 424 00:23:20,600 --> 00:23:23,080 Speaker 1: that happened in these next few months. And I feel 425 00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:26,400 Speaker 1: like there's it's it's it's ended with a bit more 426 00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:29,199 Speaker 1: directionality than when it began, which is interesting for a. 427 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:32,560 Speaker 2: Week of action. Yeah, it was needed, though it was 428 00:23:32,680 --> 00:23:33,639 Speaker 2: absolutely needed. 429 00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:37,080 Speaker 1: Like at like the first rally just felt so weird 430 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:39,800 Speaker 1: that for the first tick offf rally that the first day, 431 00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:43,440 Speaker 1: that the first few days felt just very very like 432 00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:46,760 Speaker 1: very scattered. It was unclear how what was happening was 433 00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:49,160 Speaker 1: related to stop in Coff City. And in some ways 434 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:52,240 Speaker 1: this week of action feels like the reverse of the 435 00:23:52,359 --> 00:23:55,160 Speaker 1: last week of action, where like the last week of action, 436 00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:58,080 Speaker 1: it started with a point of directionality, like we are 437 00:23:58,119 --> 00:23:59,600 Speaker 1: going to retake Wallani and they did. 438 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:01,640 Speaker 2: And then they're like, we are going. 439 00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:04,200 Speaker 1: To do an action to physically stop the construction of 440 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:06,159 Speaker 1: cop City, and they did, like they was doing all 441 00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:09,000 Speaker 1: these things. And I think that week ended with more 442 00:24:09,119 --> 00:24:14,080 Speaker 1: questions than what it started with because the police did 443 00:24:14,119 --> 00:24:15,480 Speaker 1: the rate of the forest, there was a lot of 444 00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:17,680 Speaker 1: there was more uncertainty by the end of the week 445 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:19,440 Speaker 1: because there was so much over policing. There was a 446 00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:21,480 Speaker 1: lot of a lot of changes through throughout that week, 447 00:24:22,800 --> 00:24:24,680 Speaker 1: and I think this week started in like an inverse 448 00:24:24,760 --> 00:24:27,639 Speaker 1: is people started this week with a directionless sense, and 449 00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:30,120 Speaker 1: they had a lot of questions going into this week, 450 00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:33,280 Speaker 1: and I feel like some people have started to kind 451 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:36,560 Speaker 1: of figure out how the movement will evolve in these 452 00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:39,800 Speaker 1: next few months, and it feels like people have a 453 00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:42,000 Speaker 1: better idea of where of like how they're going to 454 00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:46,399 Speaker 1: move forward in these next three months six months, and 455 00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:49,520 Speaker 1: like the month and a half when construction is slated 456 00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:50,680 Speaker 1: to begin in August. 457 00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:52,760 Speaker 2: Later to begain and you know, this referendum is looking 458 00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:56,920 Speaker 2: like it's doing pretty well, so hopefully that that does delay. 459 00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:00,000 Speaker 2: But yeah, of course we also ended with the bouncy casts. 460 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:05,000 Speaker 2: We can't do it so acknowledging the importance of bouncy 461 00:25:05,080 --> 00:25:08,119 Speaker 2: castles to this movement, or at least to Garrison, And. 462 00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:11,920 Speaker 1: I yes, I think the other thing that makes it 463 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:15,040 Speaker 1: interesting in terms of this week being an inverse of 464 00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:17,800 Speaker 1: the last week is that you know, on the last week, 465 00:25:18,119 --> 00:25:19,679 Speaker 1: day two, there was this very. 466 00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:24,040 Speaker 2: Fiery action with vehicles being smashed. 467 00:25:24,480 --> 00:25:28,200 Speaker 1: And then on the second to last day, which is 468 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:31,080 Speaker 1: like late last night, either like late Friday, night or 469 00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:34,160 Speaker 1: early Saturday morning at like one am, two am, there 470 00:25:34,359 --> 00:25:38,760 Speaker 1: was three Atlanta police cars smashed by Reynoldstown I believe. Yeah, 471 00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:40,560 Speaker 1: just right like a mile and a half away from 472 00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:43,760 Speaker 1: from Brownwood Park, YEP and close to the airport at 473 00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:48,600 Speaker 1: the old Police training Academy. There was a it looks 474 00:25:48,640 --> 00:25:51,320 Speaker 1: like a good fleet of Atlanta Police motorcycles. 475 00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:54,439 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's where the motorcycle Like, that's where the motors. 476 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:58,840 Speaker 2: The credit quarters is outside and those motorcycles are going 477 00:25:58,880 --> 00:25:59,960 Speaker 2: to be no longer functioning. 478 00:26:00,119 --> 00:26:02,639 Speaker 1: Yes, they are all charged to a crisp with like 479 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:04,520 Speaker 1: incendiary devices found there. 480 00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:04,880 Speaker 2: Yeah. 481 00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:07,720 Speaker 1: One of the most noticeable differences about this week of 482 00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:11,840 Speaker 1: action compared to the previous one was the turnout out 483 00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:14,399 Speaker 1: of state support did not show up in similar numbers 484 00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:17,000 Speaker 1: as to the last week of action in March. There's 485 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:19,119 Speaker 1: a lot of potential reasons for this. This week may 486 00:26:19,119 --> 00:26:22,480 Speaker 1: have simply happened too soon, It coincided with other events 487 00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:25,959 Speaker 1: across the country. Its messaging may not have reflected an 488 00:26:26,080 --> 00:26:30,440 Speaker 1: adequate level of planning. There was probably some demoralization from 489 00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:33,720 Speaker 1: the ninety acres of trees cut down and with entrenchment. 490 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:37,800 Speaker 1: Creek Park closed and under police occupation. Launching options in 491 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:40,840 Speaker 1: Atlanta was more of a mystery for those coming from 492 00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:44,200 Speaker 1: outside the city. More time away from the death of 493 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:48,479 Speaker 1: Tortigita is probably also a factor. People in Atlanta may 494 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:51,639 Speaker 1: have to reconcile that the movement may not have as 495 00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:55,479 Speaker 1: much widespread national support and all the ground numbers as 496 00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:56,640 Speaker 1: it did last March. 497 00:26:57,320 --> 00:26:59,480 Speaker 2: This is the smallest week of action we've had in 498 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:03,199 Speaker 2: over a year in Duisa memory. This is the smallest 499 00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:05,879 Speaker 2: one I've I've reported on. Right, Yeah, you know, I 500 00:27:05,960 --> 00:27:08,000 Speaker 2: think it might have even been comparable to the first 501 00:27:08,040 --> 00:27:10,879 Speaker 2: week of Action, like it was around there, but it 502 00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:13,920 Speaker 2: also felt more local. It did feel way more local. 503 00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:16,800 Speaker 2: Once you go from like something so big as the 504 00:27:16,880 --> 00:27:21,480 Speaker 2: last week of action to something more constrained, that is 505 00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:25,639 Speaker 2: that sets a like a vibe shift. Yeah, that I 506 00:27:25,720 --> 00:27:27,600 Speaker 2: think you've got to kind of come to terms with. 507 00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:30,400 Speaker 2: And it's one of those moments where you're like, Okay, 508 00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:32,840 Speaker 2: we are in a different paradigm. 509 00:27:33,040 --> 00:27:36,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, fewer numbers is not necessarily a bad thing. A 510 00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:40,240 Speaker 1: group of five to ten people can sometimes be much 511 00:27:40,359 --> 00:27:42,879 Speaker 1: more effective at doing certain things than a crowd of 512 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:46,200 Speaker 1: two hundred or even a thousand. You just have to 513 00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:48,800 Speaker 1: specifically prepare for the numbers that you know that you'll 514 00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:53,240 Speaker 1: have for such a long time, I felt like this 515 00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:56,680 Speaker 1: was this movement was extremely effective in delaying construction like 516 00:27:56,760 --> 00:28:00,520 Speaker 1: that was like extremely effective deadline year and a half 517 00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:03,080 Speaker 1: deadlines kept getting pushed back every single thing. Like the 518 00:28:03,119 --> 00:28:06,720 Speaker 1: occupation was very good at doing what it attempted to do, 519 00:28:08,359 --> 00:28:11,159 Speaker 1: and at a certain point that became no longer viable. 520 00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:15,040 Speaker 2: And things are now changing gears. Yeah, and you have 521 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:16,920 Speaker 2: to allow yourself that evolution like that. 522 00:28:16,960 --> 00:28:19,720 Speaker 1: It has to the same way people started occupying the 523 00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:23,400 Speaker 1: forest in October after the city council stuff in September 524 00:28:23,520 --> 00:28:26,200 Speaker 1: twenty twenty one, Like as the things change, you have 525 00:28:26,280 --> 00:28:27,320 Speaker 1: to change your tactics with it. 526 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:30,720 Speaker 2: And as I mean, as revolutionary strategy goes, that's just 527 00:28:31,080 --> 00:28:34,000 Speaker 2: that should be a baseline and adapting to what the 528 00:28:34,080 --> 00:28:37,040 Speaker 2: situation is and not what the situation what you want 529 00:28:37,119 --> 00:28:37,399 Speaker 2: it to be. 530 00:28:37,800 --> 00:28:41,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, And I think more people are talking about that 531 00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:44,800 Speaker 1: this week and realizing that like maybe even another week 532 00:28:44,840 --> 00:28:47,280 Speaker 1: of Action does not make sense for this new paradigm 533 00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:50,520 Speaker 1: that we're existing in Atlanta. I've talked about the possibility 534 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:53,920 Speaker 1: of changing the week of Action structure before in previous episodes. 535 00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:56,760 Speaker 1: And I really only brought that up because that's what 536 00:28:56,840 --> 00:28:59,680 Speaker 1: people were conveying to me at the time. And this 537 00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:02,600 Speaker 1: has continued to be a topic of debate both during 538 00:29:02,760 --> 00:29:03,800 Speaker 1: and since June. 539 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:06,440 Speaker 2: What do you do with the week of Action format? 540 00:29:06,520 --> 00:29:08,160 Speaker 2: And I know that we kind of talked about this 541 00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:13,680 Speaker 2: during the last YEP recap episode where you brought up 542 00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:15,880 Speaker 2: that that might have been the last Week of Action, 543 00:29:16,680 --> 00:29:17,200 Speaker 2: but it wasn't. 544 00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:19,360 Speaker 1: It wasn't because as I was making as episodes this 545 00:29:19,440 --> 00:29:23,960 Speaker 1: Week of Action what was announced, I've heard more people 546 00:29:24,040 --> 00:29:26,200 Speaker 1: say that they don't think the Week of Action format 547 00:29:26,280 --> 00:29:29,120 Speaker 1: is applicable anymore more. I've heard more people say that 548 00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:32,320 Speaker 1: than I did last week. What if Atlanta has kind 549 00:29:32,320 --> 00:29:35,200 Speaker 1: of outgrown this format? This format's proved to be very 550 00:29:35,320 --> 00:29:38,600 Speaker 1: useful in these past few years. There's been very positive parts, 551 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:41,000 Speaker 1: it's been very negative parts. And what if there's time 552 00:29:41,040 --> 00:29:43,000 Speaker 1: for What if it's time for something like completely new, 553 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:46,240 Speaker 1: something that the police don't know how to respond. 554 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:48,560 Speaker 2: To, because something that matches the new paradigm. Yeah, because 555 00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:49,400 Speaker 2: that's the other thing. 556 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:51,320 Speaker 1: It's like people have been doing this for like two 557 00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:54,800 Speaker 1: years now, Like not only have people gotten used to 558 00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:57,560 Speaker 1: a pattern, but like police have gotten used to a pattern, 559 00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:00,600 Speaker 1: like police have gotten very good at resting the week 560 00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:03,040 Speaker 1: of action, like they have, they have had two years 561 00:30:03,080 --> 00:30:05,440 Speaker 1: to practice, they have they know how to do this now, 562 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:09,120 Speaker 1: So why why keep playing on their battlefield? 563 00:30:09,160 --> 00:30:09,200 Speaker 5: Like? 564 00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:11,880 Speaker 2: Why why keep doing what APD is expecting you to do. 565 00:30:12,560 --> 00:30:15,440 Speaker 1: That's part of what's you know, interesting about this resurgence 566 00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:19,200 Speaker 1: of these nocturnal hit and run sabotages that are unannounced. 567 00:30:21,080 --> 00:30:23,160 Speaker 1: That we saw the ones earlier in this week with 568 00:30:23,280 --> 00:30:25,640 Speaker 1: the with the Brent Scarborough's machines. Then we saw the 569 00:30:25,680 --> 00:30:29,239 Speaker 1: APD vehicles get hit last night, So perhaps there there 570 00:30:29,280 --> 00:30:31,200 Speaker 1: will be more of that. Perhaps they'll be just new 571 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:33,640 Speaker 1: things that we can't even predict, Like there's so many 572 00:30:33,720 --> 00:30:37,320 Speaker 1: other avenues that things could that things could go. Even 573 00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:39,800 Speaker 1: during the use March, Matt and I were wondering if 574 00:30:39,880 --> 00:30:43,320 Speaker 1: this new spike in sabotage actions would break the spell 575 00:30:43,440 --> 00:30:46,080 Speaker 1: and we'd see a return of this type of action 576 00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:48,480 Speaker 1: happening more frequently. You know. 577 00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:52,400 Speaker 2: It's it's the sort of direct action that has really 578 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:55,400 Speaker 2: been missing over the last several months. Yeah, and no, 579 00:30:55,560 --> 00:30:57,880 Speaker 2: And we've been talking about a lot this past week. 580 00:30:57,920 --> 00:31:00,440 Speaker 1: We're talking about how there's been a lot of these 581 00:31:00,480 --> 00:31:03,960 Speaker 1: sorts of like nocturnal hit and run direct actions, and 582 00:31:04,840 --> 00:31:07,680 Speaker 1: late last night it seems like there was a resurgence. 583 00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:11,600 Speaker 2: So we'll see how that continues, you know, after the 584 00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:14,480 Speaker 2: Week of Action, if it continues, or if it was 585 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:17,400 Speaker 2: a Week of Action inspired element. But I have a 586 00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:20,600 Speaker 2: feeling we'll see some of those continue to crop up. 587 00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:24,680 Speaker 1: Absolutely and this did indeed turn out to be the case, 588 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:39,560 Speaker 1: all right. I will do my best to go over 589 00:31:39,680 --> 00:31:43,840 Speaker 1: a short list of the claimed attacks against contractors, building Copcity, 590 00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:47,720 Speaker 1: and corporations that fund the Atlanta Police Foundation from after 591 00:31:47,880 --> 00:31:51,120 Speaker 1: this week of action. On a July first, over half 592 00:31:51,120 --> 00:31:53,640 Speaker 1: a dozen Bank of America buildings in the Bay Area 593 00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:56,680 Speaker 1: where vandalized and a dozen or so ATMs were smashed. 594 00:31:57,400 --> 00:32:01,120 Speaker 1: In late June to early July, group of friends visited 595 00:32:01,320 --> 00:32:06,080 Speaker 1: the home of copp City architect Anthony Kenny in Norcross, Georgia, 596 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:09,480 Speaker 1: while another group paid a visit to Ambrush baseil Walla, 597 00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:12,040 Speaker 1: a member of the board of trustees for the Atlanta 598 00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:16,480 Speaker 1: Police Foundation. People painted messages around their homes and tires 599 00:32:16,520 --> 00:32:20,880 Speaker 1: were slashed. On the night of July second, Keith Johnson, 600 00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:24,840 Speaker 1: the Eastern Regional president for Brassfield and Gory, the contracting 601 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:28,040 Speaker 1: firm who broadly oversaw the destruction of the forest and 602 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:31,880 Speaker 1: who has decided to physically build cop City, also received 603 00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:35,680 Speaker 1: a mysterious visit late in the night. An unknown number 604 00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:39,640 Speaker 1: of people evaded security guards and spread blood red paint 605 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:43,520 Speaker 1: around his pool and left a message reading cop City 606 00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:47,880 Speaker 1: will never be built. Drop the contract and you can't hide. 607 00:32:48,720 --> 00:32:53,080 Speaker 1: According to an online communicay, rotten fish and dirty motor 608 00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:56,960 Speaker 1: oil were left hidden somewhere on the property. Part of 609 00:32:57,000 --> 00:33:00,680 Speaker 1: the communicay, addressed to Keith reads quote, we know things 610 00:33:00,760 --> 00:33:03,920 Speaker 1: haven't been feeling great in the office. You're losing money. 611 00:33:04,520 --> 00:33:08,280 Speaker 1: Subcontractors are upset. There are fractures everywhere in the cop 612 00:33:08,360 --> 00:33:11,480 Speaker 1: City project, and all of that weight and procarity is 613 00:33:11,600 --> 00:33:15,200 Speaker 1: on your fragile shoulders. Each time you think of us, 614 00:33:15,320 --> 00:33:18,440 Speaker 1: or see the reminders we left you, remember this is 615 00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:21,560 Speaker 1: your own doing. You can make all of this stop 616 00:33:21,760 --> 00:33:27,640 Speaker 1: by dropping the Copcity contract. On July fourth, in lieu 617 00:33:27,680 --> 00:33:31,440 Speaker 1: of fireworks, people claimed to have set two Brent Scarborough 618 00:33:31,560 --> 00:33:35,160 Speaker 1: machines on fire in broad daylight due to the lack 619 00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:40,160 Speaker 1: of security during daytime. Scarborough is the subcontractor who physically 620 00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:43,480 Speaker 1: leveled the ninety sum acres of Forest in the Wallani 621 00:33:44,280 --> 00:33:47,920 Speaker 1: The same day in Michigan, Chase Bank ATMs were sabotaged 622 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:51,280 Speaker 1: with glue and the bank was vandalized with messages of resistance. 623 00:33:51,960 --> 00:33:55,360 Speaker 1: Chase Bank's head of Regional Investment Banking serves on the 624 00:33:55,400 --> 00:33:59,120 Speaker 1: board of the Atlanta Police Foundation. And on July eighth, 625 00:33:59,240 --> 00:34:02,280 Speaker 1: a Bank of America in Berkeley was vandalized with stopcop 626 00:34:02,360 --> 00:34:07,080 Speaker 1: city slogans and three ATMs were smashed. During the start 627 00:34:07,160 --> 00:34:10,520 Speaker 1: of this little wave of actions, the Mayor's office and 628 00:34:10,680 --> 00:34:15,560 Speaker 1: APD were none too happy, so on July fifth, Mayor 629 00:34:15,640 --> 00:34:19,120 Speaker 1: Andre Dickens and Atlanta Police Chief Darren Scherbaum put on 630 00:34:19,160 --> 00:34:22,480 Speaker 1: a press conference with the ATS, Georgia Bureau of Investigation 631 00:34:22,880 --> 00:34:26,920 Speaker 1: and FBI to discuss the recent surge of direct actions. 632 00:34:27,520 --> 00:34:31,200 Speaker 6: Our public safety facilities and property were the target of 633 00:34:31,239 --> 00:34:36,200 Speaker 6: an extremely violent and dangerous attack on Saturday, July first, 634 00:34:36,640 --> 00:34:40,759 Speaker 6: and there were several other destructive acts of extreme vandalism 635 00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:45,640 Speaker 6: on public and private properly property that occurred that we 636 00:34:45,800 --> 00:34:48,759 Speaker 6: have reason to believe are related to the construction of 637 00:34:48,800 --> 00:34:52,880 Speaker 6: the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center in Decab County. The 638 00:34:53,120 --> 00:34:57,680 Speaker 6: current Atlanta Police Training Center at one eighty south Side 639 00:34:57,719 --> 00:35:02,560 Speaker 6: Industrial Parkway was set up in the early morning hours 640 00:35:02,840 --> 00:35:08,960 Speaker 6: of Saturday, July first. The targeted attack utilized extremely dangerous 641 00:35:09,400 --> 00:35:14,560 Speaker 6: homemade incendiary devices to set a fire to the building 642 00:35:14,960 --> 00:35:21,239 Speaker 6: and completely destroyed eight police motorcycle motorcycles. As shocking as 643 00:35:21,320 --> 00:35:26,000 Speaker 6: this is, this was not an isolated incident of violence. 644 00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:29,880 Speaker 6: This group actually took credit for these incidents and they 645 00:35:29,960 --> 00:35:34,320 Speaker 6: stated it as I quote, we are vengeful wing nuts 646 00:35:34,520 --> 00:35:36,200 Speaker 6: with nothing left to lose. 647 00:35:36,960 --> 00:35:39,040 Speaker 7: Prior to that, about one hour prior to the event 648 00:35:39,120 --> 00:35:40,719 Speaker 7: of one of the South Side industrial we had another 649 00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:42,960 Speaker 7: precinct that was targeted in the city. This is our 650 00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:45,839 Speaker 7: Path Force Precinct, Memorial Drive and the eight hundred block 651 00:35:45,840 --> 00:35:48,200 Speaker 7: of the Memorial. These officers control the belt line which 652 00:35:48,239 --> 00:35:50,880 Speaker 7: many of you all visit frequently. At that location, we 653 00:35:50,960 --> 00:35:54,520 Speaker 7: had multiple windows broken on police vehicles. We believe the 654 00:35:54,600 --> 00:35:56,919 Speaker 7: intent was to set those vehicles on fire as well. 655 00:35:57,800 --> 00:35:59,680 Speaker 7: Half and fire off of the of the red fuse 656 00:35:59,840 --> 00:36:02,080 Speaker 7: on the ground that has been used by this group 657 00:36:02,160 --> 00:36:04,960 Speaker 7: in the past to set police vehicles on fire that 658 00:36:05,200 --> 00:36:09,000 Speaker 7: was dropped when a citizen observed the criminal actions progress 659 00:36:09,040 --> 00:36:11,759 Speaker 7: and actually interrupted the crimes that were occurring there. So 660 00:36:11,840 --> 00:36:14,239 Speaker 7: we believe that the fire attack that was planned on 661 00:36:14,360 --> 00:36:18,560 Speaker 7: Memorial Drive was thwarted by an observant citizen. A short 662 00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:20,680 Speaker 7: time later, about an hour, we had the fire at 663 00:36:20,719 --> 00:36:24,640 Speaker 7: our facility on Southside Industrial. Our training center has housed 664 00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:28,319 Speaker 7: there most recently, and then our special operations precinct is there. 665 00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:31,440 Speaker 7: The intent was for all forty to be destroyed, and 666 00:36:31,520 --> 00:36:34,320 Speaker 7: had all those forty vehicles caught on fire, that police 667 00:36:34,360 --> 00:36:37,279 Speaker 7: facility would have been gravely damaged, if not destroyed in 668 00:36:37,400 --> 00:36:39,720 Speaker 7: the fire. And we are thankful for a police officer 669 00:36:39,840 --> 00:36:43,279 Speaker 7: that saw this unfolding and likely interrupted that plan for 670 00:36:43,360 --> 00:36:45,600 Speaker 7: being able to play out in its fullness. There's an 671 00:36:45,640 --> 00:36:49,120 Speaker 7: indication that this was likely committed by the exact same intevisions. 672 00:36:49,239 --> 00:36:50,240 Speaker 7: We will let and see where. 673 00:36:50,080 --> 00:36:50,720 Speaker 5: The fact tickets. 674 00:36:51,320 --> 00:36:55,040 Speaker 1: According to Chief Sheerbaum and Mayor Dickens, the actions against 675 00:36:55,120 --> 00:36:58,000 Speaker 1: Atlanta Police on July first, over the course of just 676 00:36:58,040 --> 00:37:01,560 Speaker 1: a few hours equaled over were three hundred thousand dollars 677 00:37:01,760 --> 00:37:03,319 Speaker 1: in damages as. 678 00:37:03,239 --> 00:37:05,720 Speaker 7: We're around thirty five thousand, and they once you outfit 679 00:37:05,800 --> 00:37:07,319 Speaker 7: us a little bit more so, do that times eight, 680 00:37:07,640 --> 00:37:08,960 Speaker 7: that's going to put you in the ballpark. 681 00:37:09,600 --> 00:37:13,000 Speaker 6: Yeah, and that's not even including the rest of the 682 00:37:13,360 --> 00:37:17,000 Speaker 6: smoke and damage. And other things, and the broken windows 683 00:37:17,120 --> 00:37:18,319 Speaker 6: on the police car, etc. 684 00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:22,040 Speaker 7: So the group that struck this weekend is a dedicated 685 00:37:22,080 --> 00:37:24,239 Speaker 7: group of professional anarchists, and I know that may seem 686 00:37:24,280 --> 00:37:26,480 Speaker 7: a contradiction in terms. So this is a group of 687 00:37:26,520 --> 00:37:29,359 Speaker 7: individuals who don't pray, play by any rules, and we'll 688 00:37:29,360 --> 00:37:31,000 Speaker 7: go to any links they need to to carry out. 689 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:33,720 Speaker 7: And this is their words. We will wage a campaign 690 00:37:34,120 --> 00:37:36,239 Speaker 7: of violence and destruction, and so what we saw this 691 00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:37,600 Speaker 7: weekend was part of that campaign. 692 00:37:38,080 --> 00:37:41,720 Speaker 1: It's always funny when police make anarchists sound very cool 693 00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:46,000 Speaker 1: and scary. But Chief Scherbaum also pretty clearly explained the 694 00:37:46,160 --> 00:37:51,320 Speaker 1: reasoned methodology behind the pressure campaigns targeting contractors and APF 695 00:37:51,480 --> 00:37:52,560 Speaker 1: financial sponsors. 696 00:37:53,040 --> 00:37:55,800 Speaker 7: We know from the postings of this group their intent 697 00:37:55,960 --> 00:37:59,000 Speaker 7: to stop the Public Safety Trading Center has left the 698 00:37:59,160 --> 00:38:02,920 Speaker 7: democratic pro sess of the city Council and is now 699 00:38:03,040 --> 00:38:07,200 Speaker 7: moving to intimidate and force out contractors that are committed 700 00:38:07,239 --> 00:38:10,520 Speaker 7: to building the Public Safety training Center this weekend. During 701 00:38:10,560 --> 00:38:15,720 Speaker 7: the week of action, three different locations private residences were targeted. 702 00:38:17,239 --> 00:38:20,319 Speaker 7: Tires were flattened on contractors home. A home of an 703 00:38:20,360 --> 00:38:25,320 Speaker 7: executive for Brassalgory was significantly vanalyzed. In another jurisdiction. And 704 00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:28,400 Speaker 7: then we had another location where graffiti was used to intimidate. 705 00:38:29,160 --> 00:38:32,280 Speaker 7: And then yesterday morning, slightly after seven o'clock in the morning, 706 00:38:32,600 --> 00:38:35,560 Speaker 7: a location at four eighteen McDonough Boulevard belonging to Brent 707 00:38:35,640 --> 00:38:38,759 Speaker 7: Scarborough's company, which is a key provider of work and 708 00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:42,240 Speaker 7: this training centers was also targeted and attacked and equipment 709 00:38:42,400 --> 00:38:46,279 Speaker 7: was set on fire at that location. These acts are 710 00:38:46,520 --> 00:38:49,719 Speaker 7: of a small, determined group. These are small individuals from 711 00:38:49,719 --> 00:38:53,200 Speaker 7: across the country that are using violence and fear and 712 00:38:53,320 --> 00:38:56,800 Speaker 7: intimidation to stop a public safety training center. And this 713 00:38:56,960 --> 00:38:59,600 Speaker 7: group cannot hide behind the dark of night or the 714 00:38:59,680 --> 00:39:01,800 Speaker 7: home address and feel that they are not going to 715 00:39:01,800 --> 00:39:04,160 Speaker 7: be held accountable. I have standing at this podium with 716 00:39:04,280 --> 00:39:08,320 Speaker 7: me today representings from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the ATF, 717 00:39:08,520 --> 00:39:10,920 Speaker 7: and we are also partner with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. 718 00:39:11,480 --> 00:39:14,720 Speaker 7: These agencies are working together to determine where federal laws 719 00:39:14,760 --> 00:39:18,040 Speaker 7: violated this weekend and ensure that the full expertise of 720 00:39:18,120 --> 00:39:21,080 Speaker 7: American law enforcement is present right here in Atlanta to 721 00:39:21,200 --> 00:39:24,440 Speaker 7: stop this group, stop this group across the region, stop 722 00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:27,360 Speaker 7: their ability to impact the public safety network of Atlanta 723 00:39:27,640 --> 00:39:28,680 Speaker 7: and hold them accountable. 724 00:39:28,920 --> 00:39:32,920 Speaker 1: Despite continued threats from law enforcement, the only arrests that 725 00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:36,279 Speaker 1: have happened so far in relation to this movement are 726 00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:42,359 Speaker 1: from daytime protests, forest raids, and bail fund organizers. We've 727 00:39:42,440 --> 00:39:46,480 Speaker 1: yet to see anyone arrested in Atlanta for doing like 728 00:39:46,600 --> 00:39:49,600 Speaker 1: a specific one of these nocturnal like nights sabotage actions. 729 00:39:49,760 --> 00:39:51,040 Speaker 2: That has not happened. 730 00:39:51,200 --> 00:39:54,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, the scariest indictments everyone's expecting are going 731 00:39:54,760 --> 00:39:56,520 Speaker 1: to come in these next few years, after you give 732 00:39:56,560 --> 00:39:59,560 Speaker 1: the FBI two three, four years to investigate, after you 733 00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:01,760 Speaker 1: interview or people whove been arrested, see if anyone stitches, 734 00:40:01,880 --> 00:40:06,879 Speaker 1: if anyone turns state's witness. But so far, it's been 735 00:40:07,280 --> 00:40:10,000 Speaker 1: safer to do nocturnal sabotage actions than it has been 736 00:40:10,120 --> 00:40:14,080 Speaker 1: to attend a public protest. And that is an interesting 737 00:40:14,120 --> 00:40:16,280 Speaker 1: paradigm as well, is that no one's actually got arrested 738 00:40:16,560 --> 00:40:20,359 Speaker 1: for lighting like cop cars and fire in the middle 739 00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:23,680 Speaker 1: of the night. No one's been arrested for sabotaging equipment 740 00:40:23,719 --> 00:40:26,160 Speaker 1: in the middle of the night. All of the arrests 741 00:40:26,719 --> 00:40:28,880 Speaker 1: that are you know, are being tied to like violent 742 00:40:28,960 --> 00:40:33,080 Speaker 1: crime are from like daytime protests, which is an interesting 743 00:40:33,160 --> 00:40:37,000 Speaker 1: factor about this movement. Direct action in the most surveiled 744 00:40:37,080 --> 00:40:40,720 Speaker 1: city in America can be tricky, and even just managing 745 00:40:40,960 --> 00:40:43,840 Speaker 1: cell phones and Internet search data is a huge factor. 746 00:40:44,520 --> 00:40:47,479 Speaker 1: But as much real security there is out in the world, 747 00:40:48,080 --> 00:40:51,360 Speaker 1: the amount of security theater is arguably a stronger aspect 748 00:40:51,440 --> 00:40:54,359 Speaker 1: in getting people to not go out and do direct action. 749 00:40:55,120 --> 00:40:58,560 Speaker 1: The implicit threat of the panopticon is often enough to 750 00:40:58,680 --> 00:41:04,120 Speaker 1: stifle people's potential action, but these things are beatable. Guides 751 00:41:04,160 --> 00:41:06,640 Speaker 1: for how to do it exist either at your local 752 00:41:06,719 --> 00:41:09,560 Speaker 1: anarchist book fair or online as long as the computer 753 00:41:09,719 --> 00:41:12,200 Speaker 1: is running tour browser and a reputable VPN. 754 00:41:13,040 --> 00:41:13,520 Speaker 2: The Internet. 755 00:41:13,640 --> 00:41:18,040 Speaker 1: The internet's a fun place. That's there is a lot 756 00:41:18,120 --> 00:41:21,160 Speaker 1: of no blogs and sites and the zines that tell 757 00:41:21,200 --> 00:41:22,680 Speaker 1: you how to do that. I don't know, I mean 758 00:41:22,719 --> 00:41:26,320 Speaker 1: they people always make mistakes, People get caught sometimes make mistakes. 759 00:41:26,400 --> 00:41:29,040 Speaker 2: It's risky, and there are cameras everywhere in the city. 760 00:41:29,640 --> 00:41:31,520 Speaker 2: You have to Yeah, some of them, don't worry. But 761 00:41:32,239 --> 00:41:34,680 Speaker 2: it's like, do you really want to play Russian Roulette? 762 00:41:34,760 --> 00:41:36,799 Speaker 1: No, that's a part of that's a part of when 763 00:41:36,800 --> 00:41:39,880 Speaker 1: people like plan these nocturnal actions is like just because 764 00:41:39,880 --> 00:41:42,520 Speaker 1: it's nighttime, doesn't mean you're not sick getting watched or 765 00:41:42,520 --> 00:41:42,719 Speaker 1: you're not. 766 00:41:42,880 --> 00:41:44,880 Speaker 2: Like it's there's a lot of things that go into that. 767 00:41:45,960 --> 00:41:48,040 Speaker 1: There's a lot of ways to get got whether you're 768 00:41:48,120 --> 00:41:51,879 Speaker 1: like buying supplies and you keep a receipt and people 769 00:41:51,960 --> 00:41:53,960 Speaker 1: please find a receipt, They track back, they find security 770 00:41:53,960 --> 00:41:56,680 Speaker 1: acount of you'll be purchasing things and then they're like, oh, 771 00:41:56,760 --> 00:41:58,239 Speaker 1: this bottle is bought it this place because you have 772 00:41:58,320 --> 00:41:59,879 Speaker 1: this receipt in your house and blah blahlah blah blah. 773 00:42:00,120 --> 00:42:02,160 Speaker 1: Like there's there's lots of ways that that stuff happens. 774 00:42:02,239 --> 00:42:04,759 Speaker 1: So like I'm not going to give a guide on 775 00:42:04,840 --> 00:42:09,840 Speaker 1: how to do it right now, but like anarchists have 776 00:42:09,880 --> 00:42:11,560 Speaker 1: been doing this for a long time. 777 00:42:11,920 --> 00:42:14,600 Speaker 2: After you do that crime, you've never done that crime. 778 00:42:14,719 --> 00:42:16,680 Speaker 1: Like it's it's not something that you do as a person, 779 00:42:16,760 --> 00:42:19,680 Speaker 1: like you cease to become a person, you've become like 780 00:42:20,160 --> 00:42:21,000 Speaker 1: you are that action. 781 00:42:21,200 --> 00:42:24,239 Speaker 2: It is subsumed in the action, and then and then 782 00:42:24,280 --> 00:42:27,640 Speaker 2: it's you never talked about it ever again. It's gone 783 00:42:28,080 --> 00:42:31,360 Speaker 2: or else you end up going to prison. Yeah, and 784 00:42:32,120 --> 00:42:34,920 Speaker 2: risking like not just your safety, the safety everyone's safety 785 00:42:35,920 --> 00:42:37,960 Speaker 2: just by remembering that you did it. 786 00:42:38,080 --> 00:42:41,320 Speaker 1: No you know, like these become standards and anarchist communities, 787 00:42:41,360 --> 00:42:44,080 Speaker 1: like you never brag about something, You never allude to 788 00:42:44,160 --> 00:42:47,520 Speaker 1: anything like it's it's it's not it's not a game 789 00:42:47,840 --> 00:42:50,879 Speaker 1: like you're it's not a game. You're it is your 790 00:42:51,120 --> 00:42:53,879 Speaker 1: your life and other people's lives on the line. When 791 00:42:53,960 --> 00:42:57,000 Speaker 1: when when you're doing stuff like this and it's yeah, 792 00:42:57,040 --> 00:43:00,799 Speaker 1: you you never do it to like cool. You never 793 00:43:00,920 --> 00:43:02,880 Speaker 1: do it to brag about it like that. That's just 794 00:43:03,080 --> 00:43:07,239 Speaker 1: not how this works, which is why there's kind of 795 00:43:07,239 --> 00:43:10,120 Speaker 1: a much more like kind of insular culture around some anarchists, 796 00:43:10,200 --> 00:43:13,960 Speaker 1: especially anarchists to identify as like illegalists or like the 797 00:43:14,040 --> 00:43:16,600 Speaker 1: types of like like green nihilists or green anarchists. That 798 00:43:16,719 --> 00:43:20,840 Speaker 1: kind of pioneered the militancy of this movement both slightly 799 00:43:21,080 --> 00:43:23,880 Speaker 1: even slightly before the first City Council vote and then 800 00:43:23,960 --> 00:43:26,279 Speaker 1: definitely after the first City Council vote where we saw 801 00:43:26,640 --> 00:43:30,360 Speaker 1: a massive explosion no pun intended in the number of 802 00:43:31,080 --> 00:43:34,600 Speaker 1: type of sabotages happening in the Wlani Forest. Yeah, which 803 00:43:34,719 --> 00:43:36,640 Speaker 1: I think that drew a lot of anarchists do come 804 00:43:36,680 --> 00:43:37,400 Speaker 1: to Atlanta because it. 805 00:43:37,400 --> 00:43:40,560 Speaker 2: Was like, oh, they're doing a thing that's been the 806 00:43:40,640 --> 00:43:42,320 Speaker 2: thing since the end of the green scare. 807 00:43:42,480 --> 00:43:44,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, no, this is like the thing that I believe 808 00:43:44,760 --> 00:43:46,719 Speaker 1: in that this is like, this is my politics. Now 809 00:43:46,760 --> 00:43:49,920 Speaker 1: there's a spot where I can do my politics. And 810 00:43:50,440 --> 00:43:53,920 Speaker 1: still no one's been caught for that. And I think 811 00:43:53,960 --> 00:43:55,560 Speaker 1: that that was a big part of why Atlanta got 812 00:43:55,640 --> 00:43:57,920 Speaker 1: so big last year, was that people had the ability 813 00:43:58,000 --> 00:44:00,759 Speaker 1: to like live free in the forest and then do 814 00:44:00,920 --> 00:44:03,239 Speaker 1: crazy shit at night. Like you can you live in 815 00:44:03,360 --> 00:44:07,680 Speaker 1: this like autonomous zone during the day. You're able, whether 816 00:44:07,760 --> 00:44:10,800 Speaker 1: you're you have housing instability, whether you just want like 817 00:44:11,440 --> 00:44:16,480 Speaker 1: an escape from like horrible police state living. Like where 818 00:44:16,520 --> 00:44:18,480 Speaker 1: in whatever, wherever the city you're in, you can go 819 00:44:18,600 --> 00:44:20,640 Speaker 1: live in the Wilane Forest. You can live in a tent, 820 00:44:20,840 --> 00:44:23,880 Speaker 1: you can have friends, you can defend this force during 821 00:44:23,920 --> 00:44:26,040 Speaker 1: the day, and then you can do crazy, crazy shit 822 00:44:26,080 --> 00:44:28,280 Speaker 1: at night. And that drew a lot of people to Atlanta, 823 00:44:29,040 --> 00:44:30,960 Speaker 1: And now with the forest not being there, that also 824 00:44:31,040 --> 00:44:33,000 Speaker 1: changes that that changes the type of people who are come, 825 00:44:33,120 --> 00:44:35,160 Speaker 1: who are who want to come to the city because 826 00:44:35,239 --> 00:44:37,640 Speaker 1: that that was a big draw for people And now 827 00:44:37,719 --> 00:44:39,719 Speaker 1: that that's no longer an option, you can't really sleep 828 00:44:39,719 --> 00:44:41,360 Speaker 1: in the Wilani Forest as easily anymore. 829 00:44:41,440 --> 00:44:43,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, that changes the types. 830 00:44:43,280 --> 00:44:45,399 Speaker 1: Of people who want to come to Atlanta and who 831 00:44:45,400 --> 00:44:49,200 Speaker 1: are gonna like do crazy shit because that's just how And. 832 00:44:49,239 --> 00:44:51,840 Speaker 2: Further on safety, they're not here. Yeah, no, absolutely. 833 00:44:52,520 --> 00:44:55,640 Speaker 1: As the referendum is hoping to stop cop City by 834 00:44:55,760 --> 00:44:59,040 Speaker 1: having Atlanta residents vote on whether to cancel the land lease, 835 00:44:59,719 --> 00:45:02,880 Speaker 1: other in the Diverse movement have continued their efforts to 836 00:45:02,960 --> 00:45:06,560 Speaker 1: pressure contractors and funders to drop out of the cop 837 00:45:06,680 --> 00:45:11,040 Speaker 1: City project. This tactic has already demonstrated its ability to succeed, 838 00:45:11,320 --> 00:45:13,759 Speaker 1: with Reeve's Young Construction dropping out of the project in 839 00:45:13,840 --> 00:45:17,320 Speaker 1: April of twenty twenty two, and some material suppliers have 840 00:45:17,520 --> 00:45:21,239 Speaker 1: since cut ties with cop City. This is something that 841 00:45:21,480 --> 00:45:25,320 Speaker 1: APD Chief Darren Shecherbaum certainly seems worried about. 842 00:45:26,040 --> 00:45:28,800 Speaker 7: This effort of fear was not going to succeed, and 843 00:45:29,000 --> 00:45:32,399 Speaker 7: the coalition of law enforcement from the GBI to the FBI, 844 00:45:32,520 --> 00:45:35,080 Speaker 7: to the ATF, Atlanta Police Department, and a slew of 845 00:45:35,200 --> 00:45:38,800 Speaker 7: regional agencies is going to stop that campaign so it 846 00:45:38,920 --> 00:45:40,800 Speaker 7: doesn't happen and individuals. 847 00:45:40,440 --> 00:45:41,400 Speaker 5: Do not leave the project. 848 00:45:42,000 --> 00:45:46,040 Speaker 1: On July second, protesters in Minnesota visited the homes of 849 00:45:46,200 --> 00:45:51,480 Speaker 1: Atlas Technical Consultants employees during daylight, people marched around the 850 00:45:51,520 --> 00:45:55,880 Speaker 1: neighborhoods with instruments and banners, knocked on doors, talked with neighbors, 851 00:45:56,239 --> 00:45:59,040 Speaker 1: and left a letter of demands to drop the contract 852 00:45:59,160 --> 00:46:02,840 Speaker 1: and cut ties with the Atlanta Police Foundation. The project 853 00:46:02,920 --> 00:46:06,600 Speaker 1: manager for Atlas Technical Consultants engaged with protesters in the 854 00:46:06,640 --> 00:46:11,040 Speaker 1: street and told them that Atlas had indeed already dropped 855 00:46:11,080 --> 00:46:14,839 Speaker 1: out of the project due to mounting pressure than we want. 856 00:46:16,280 --> 00:46:18,240 Speaker 8: Atlas is no longer involved. 857 00:46:20,239 --> 00:46:22,080 Speaker 1: Why they decide to get out of it? 858 00:46:23,520 --> 00:46:28,680 Speaker 8: We stopped doing that. Why because you guys are fucking 859 00:46:28,800 --> 00:46:31,240 Speaker 8: nightmares and you broke all our fucking windows. 860 00:46:31,800 --> 00:46:35,160 Speaker 2: So you remember, I don't care what you want to say, 861 00:46:36,520 --> 00:46:36,759 Speaker 2: So you. 862 00:46:36,840 --> 00:46:41,440 Speaker 8: Know my house and knock on my door and do 863 00:46:41,640 --> 00:46:45,520 Speaker 8: this ship. My company is not involved in this, So 864 00:46:45,719 --> 00:46:48,400 Speaker 8: get the fuck away from me. Okay, I'm glad. 865 00:46:50,680 --> 00:46:50,919 Speaker 2: Alright. 866 00:46:52,000 --> 00:46:55,359 Speaker 1: A few days later, Atlas and Long Engineering released an 867 00:46:55,400 --> 00:46:58,600 Speaker 1: official statement saying that they would no longer be working 868 00:46:58,760 --> 00:47:02,360 Speaker 1: on the cop City project. Anarchists and those on the 869 00:47:02,400 --> 00:47:06,000 Speaker 1: left in general seem to have a hard time calling wins, 870 00:47:06,600 --> 00:47:09,440 Speaker 1: But I'm not sure if it gets any more definitive 871 00:47:09,520 --> 00:47:12,440 Speaker 1: than that audio clip in showing that this type of 872 00:47:12,520 --> 00:47:15,799 Speaker 1: direct action can absolutely work in getting businesses to leave 873 00:47:15,880 --> 00:47:19,839 Speaker 1: the project. In the next episode, we'll talk more about 874 00:47:19,880 --> 00:47:23,200 Speaker 1: the referendum, the city's attempts to divide the movement, and 875 00:47:23,360 --> 00:47:26,239 Speaker 1: the growing pr battle over the fate of Copcity. 876 00:47:26,880 --> 00:47:28,040 Speaker 2: See you on the other side. 877 00:47:31,400 --> 00:47:33,760 Speaker 4: It Could Happen Here as a production of cool Zone Media. 878 00:47:34,000 --> 00:47:36,640 Speaker 4: For more podcasts from cool Zone Media, visit our website 879 00:47:36,719 --> 00:47:39,839 Speaker 4: coolzonemedia dot com, or check us out on the iHeartRadio app, 880 00:47:39,840 --> 00:47:43,200 Speaker 4: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can 881 00:47:43,239 --> 00:47:45,920 Speaker 4: find sources for It Could Happen Here, updated monthly at 882 00:47:45,960 --> 00:47:49,160 Speaker 4: coolzonemedia dot com slash sources. Thanks for listening.