CALL TO ACTION
On Wednesday, we received news of what may have been the first police killing of a climate activist in the U.S. when Atlanta police shot and killed Manuel “Tortuguita” Paéz Terán. Tortuguíta was a beloved forest defender fighting to #StopCopCity, the plan to bulldoze Weelaunee Forest to build a police training facility.
Activists in Atlanta have asked for solidarity from across the U.S. and the world. On Tuesday, join us for a vigil in Malcolm X Park to mourn and honor the life of Tortuguita. Light a candle, take part in a public art build, and hear from speakers about Tortuguita and the #StopCopCity fight.
Please wear a mask to make the event accessible for our vulnerable neighbors.
In solidarity,
ShutDownDC
shutdowndc.org
email from info@ShutDownDC.org info@ShutDownDC.org
ATLANTA — A protest broke down into momentary chaos and multiple arrests in downtown Atlanta on Saturday as a group of about 100 people marched to demonstrate against the police after an environmental activist was killed earlier this week.
The activist, a “forest defender” who went by the name Tortuguita, was killed Wednesday as authorities disbanded a group of protesters that gathered around the site of a planned public safety training center that its opponents call “Cop City.”
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Tortuguita was killed after shooting a state trooper in the abdomen, causing nonfatal injuries, but others have called for an independent investigation into the killing, according to the Associated Press. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said the incident was not recorded on body cameras, the AP reported.
Some protesters who marched on Saturday carried banners that read, “You Can’t Kill us All,” “Justice for Tortuguita” and “Trees give life, police take it.”
As demonstrators made their way up Peachtree Street, in the heart of Atlanta’s commercial and entertainment district, some in the group, clad entirely in black, began smashing windows and detonating fireworks, targeting Wells Fargo Bank, Chase Bank and another building that reportedly houses the offices of the Atlanta Police Foundation.
An Atlanta police car appeared to have been set on fire in front of a Hooters restaurant, which was packed with people watching the NFL playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Tourists and football fans hurried indoors, as police descended on the scene and tackled several demonstrators.
Six people were arrested and explosive devices were recovered, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said in a news conference, but no one was injured. He emphasized that those who caused property damage were a small subset among other peaceful demonstrators.
Police are still assessing whether they need to make more arrests over broken windows in at least three businesses, Schierbaum said.
Speaking at the news conference, Mayor Andre Dickens said the city “will not tolerate violence or property destruction.”
“My message is simple for those who seek to continue this kind of criminal behavior,” he said. “We will find you, and we will arrest you, and you will be held accountable.”
After demonstrations appeared to have largely scattered, dozens of Georgia State Patrol officers responded into the city to support Atlanta police. The Atlanta police also shut down about a four-block area downtown.
https://www.washingViolent protests break out in Atlanta over fatal shooting of activist