#85: Stop Cop City / Defend Weelaunee Forest, Part I: History and Analysis

The Ex-Worker

The Ex-Worker is back! Episode 85 introduces the history behind the struggle to Stop Cop City and defend the Weelaunee Forest in Atlanta, Georgia. For nearly two years, a coalition of anarchists, abolitionists, environmental activists, indigenous communities, local residents, and supporters from all over has faced off against police, entertainment and construction companies, politicians, and media intent on destroying a beloved forest to build a police training compound and a film industry sound stage. Recently, the state has arrested over a dozen activists on absurd charges of “domestic terrorism,” and on January 18th, police murdered forest defender Manuel “Tortuguita” Teran. Around the US and beyond, folks are mobilizing in outrage against the killer police and the corporate and political power structures responsible for their murderous repression. In this episode, we present a long article first published in April 2022, titled The City in the Forest: Reinventing Resistance for an Age of Climate Crisis and Police Militarization, which combines a comprehensive history of the campaign to defend the forest with a strategic analysis that locates it in reference to the broader political context and other similar campaigns. Stay tuned for more coverage in Episode 86, including accounts from the forest and a solidarity statement you can sign to show support. {January 27, 2023}

-------SHOW NOTES------

• Table of Contents:
  • Ex-Worker Introduction {0:01}
  • Episode Introduction {0:35}
  • The City in the Forest: Reinventing Resistance for an Age of Climate Crisis and Police Militarization {3:45}
  • Defending the Forest in the City {4:39}
  • Background {7:40}
    • The George Floyd Protests {12:01}
    • “Institute for Social Justice” {17:24}
  • Timeline {19:57}
  • Coming out with a bang {28:43}
    • First, Attack their Strategy {31:10}
    • Names and Addresses {34:08}
    • First Week of Action {36:51}
    • When Dissent is Not Enough {39:20}
  • The Fight is On {41:35}
    • Second Week of Action {42:54}
    • Taking the Fight to Them {45:47}
    • Stomp dance {47:17}
    • Moves and Counter moves {49:19}
    • The Stakes Go Up {51:22}
  • The Best Defense is a Good Offense {53:24}
    • Defense {53:52}
    • Offense {57:02}
    • Movement Diversity is an Asset {58:22}
    • The SHAC Model {1:00:45}
    • Limits of the SHAC Strategy {1:03:54}
  • Learning Lessons: I–69 and NODAPL {1:06:02}
  • The Shock of Victory {1:09:30}
  • Appendix: The Atlanta City Prison Farm and the Legacy of Carceral Reformism {1:14:49}
    • Do Not Let Them Re-Form {1:19:55}
  • Conclusion {1:21:36}

• Here’s the original April 2022 article we narrate in this episode: The City in the Forest: Reinventing Resistance for an Age of Climate Crisis and Police Militarization

• If you are part of an organization, or just an interested individual, you can sign on to this solidarity statement to show your support for the movement. You’ll hear an audio version in our forthcoming Episode 86, too.

• Support forest defenders facing legal charges by donating to the Atlanta Solidarity Fund.

• To stay updated on developments in the campaign to Stop Cop City and defend the Weelaunee Forest, follow Defend the Atlanta Forest and the Atlanta Community Press Collective on Twitter. You can also access, read, and print zines related to the movement from the Defend the Atlanta Forest library.

• See here to read or share remembrances of murdered forest defender Manuel “Tortuguita” Teran. You can also donate to a fundraiser for Tortuguita’s family.

• The Stop Reeves-Young website offers info on the campaigns against the contractors and architects involved in the Cop City project.

• This Defend Atlanta Forest linktree will connect you to a variety of resources on social media and beyond.

• The Ex-Worker is a proud member of the Channel Zero Network, an English-language anarchist radio and podcast network run by radical media makers. You can find more coverage of the struggle to Stop Cop City and defend the Weelaunee Forest on other CZN projects, including The Final Straw Radio, It’s Going Down, and Kite Line, so check out those projects through the links above if you want to hear more.