cross-posted from Green and Red Podcast
Since the murder of forest defender Tortuguita last January, we’ve seen an escalation on the Stop Cop City by both activists and police. 34 people have been charged with “domestic terrorism.” Atlanta police have cracked down on the smallest of demos resisting the project. Meanwhile, it’s been revealed that Cop City would cost twice the amount originally asked for by the Atlanta Police Foundation. And 54% of Atlanta area residents oppose the project (with only 34% supporting it) in recent polls.
Listen in: https://bit.ly/42tLlQI
This past week, three members of the Atlanta Solidarity Committee were arrested for alleged “financial crimes” by the state of Georgia. The Solidarity Committee is a bail fund that exists to support people arrested for protest-related actions. They began during the 2020 uprisings after the police murder of George Floyd and have been a pillar of support through the Stop Cop City campaign. Gov. Brian Kemp, and other politicians, has portrayed the movement to stop Copy City as a criminal organization. They are now targeting the campaign’s legal and bail support for “charity fraud” and “money laundering.”
In our latest episode, Scott talks with Lauren Regan, executive director of the Civil Liberties Defense Center (@CLDC), about what’s happening in Atlanta. They get into the intent of the authorities, other legal avenues they are pursuing to eradicate the Stop Cop City Movement and possible national effects.
Bio// Lauren is the Executive Director & Senior Staff Attorney at the Civil Liberties Defense Center. She is a national expert in the defense of political activists, particularly those engaged in the climate, environmental, indigenous and animal rights movements. She is a trial lawyer who handles state and federal criminal defense, SLAPP defense, grand jury resistance, and federal civil rights litigation against police and government agencies for violating the rights of activists and organizations.