Atlanta City Council pushed forward legislation early Tuesday that would help fund a controversial public safety training facility.
The council voted 11-4 in favor of the law, who would assign one Additionally $31 million from the 2023 uncommitted general resources budget to the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. The move comes after a huge turnout at a city council meeting Monday in which community members and organizers voiced their disapproval of the facility, popularly known as “Cop City,” during hours of public comment.
The vote also comes about two weeks after the finance subcommittee voted 5-1 for financing the training site on May 24.
The Atlanta Public Safety Training Center would boast at least 85 acres of land in the South River Forest, an area with a complex history that includes at least one plantation, a prison ranch, and the violent removal of indigenous peoples. The city said the Atlanta Police Foundation will raise two-thirds of the total cost, about $60 million, to build the facility through “philanthropic and corporate donations.” But the remaining amount will come from the taxpayer.
However, the Atlanta Community Press Collective found that the amount taxpayers could end up paying is more than double the original allocation $31 million in tax dollars because of a provision known as a “leaseback agreement”. Under the agreement, the City of Atlanta would have to pay the Atlanta Police Foundation $1.2 million annually to use the training facility, which would ultimately add $36 million to costs over the 30-year lease. That reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
a spokesman for Mayor Andre Dickens’s office told the AJC that the rent payments are “budget neutral.” She said the money will come from funds already allocated to the training of police officers and firefighters.
While Cop City may not be the largest training facility in the US, organizers have told JS they fear the plans extend beyond 85 acres for the full lease of 381 hectares. As it stands, the rest of the area is designated for “green”.
The movement to Stop Cop City from being built consists of people of different backgrounds and interests – including black people, Indigenous individuals, abolitionists, environmentalists and more. While some in the movement are residents, others have come from elsewhere to support the cause. People are supporting the movement in different locations and in many different ways — forest defenders have lived in the forest to protect the land, others organize protests and some share information in person and online.
But the movement has also faced resistance and, in some cases, violence from law enforcement and city officials.
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Georgia State Troopers killed Manuel Estaban Paez Terána ranger known as Tortuguita, in the woods in January.
And minimum 40 people have been accused of domestic terrorism, even some attending a music festival in the woods. Three people were charged with felonies after they were accused of sticking flyers on mailboxes naming one of the officers who fatally shot Tortuguita.
Recently three board members of an organization that helped rescue activists were arrested and charged with money laundering and charitable fraud.
“Most protest crimes are violations or ordinance violations, such as a traffic fine,” says attorney Lyra Foster. previously told JS. “People need to understand that protesters’ actions have not changed; the crimes they are accused of. This is not an escalation of protest, it is a crackdown on the same First Amendment protected protests as before.”
Some elected officials, including Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, have been adamant about suppressing the move.
“As we have said before, we will not rest until we hold accountable everyone who funded, organized or participated in this violence and harassment.” Carr tweeted Wednesday.
Others, such as Democratic Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock from Georgia, previously advised opponents of the project to protest peacefully and share their thoughts with the city council. On Sunday, the two, along with Rep. Jamaal Bowman (DN.Y.), issued statements questioning recent arrests and the reactions of state and local officials.
Hours of public comment, countless peaceful protests and other attempts to spread the word have yet to receive a satisfactory response and have even led to dozens of arrests.
Organizers have labeled the relentless backlash from legislators and law enforcement officials as political persecution.
Hannah Riley, a writer and organizer, previously told JS that the movement continues.
“Despite increased harassment and intimidation and repression, the movement is being encouraged. It’s not going anywhere,” Riley said. “People see this for what it is. They see it as an attempt to undermine First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and deviance from such horrible things.”