Two trans women were recently arrested in Atlanta after a climb of 250 feet to protest Atlanta’s controversy regarding what many are calling “cop city.” They had secured themselves to the cranes ladder system which was a key component in helping them shut down construction. After the police cut through the tape and helped them get down, they were arrested and taken into custody.
Cop City is a project that was started in 2020 following the ongoing police protests following the murdering of George Floyd. This project, if completed, would be one of the biggest police training centers in the country. This has caused outrage among the community because this center would train not just officers from the state of Georgia, but around the globe, to be trained repressive tactics that would give them the ability to easily crush any protests that are made about police.
Additionally, the project would cause a huge amount of deforestation, which is another reason why it is rightfully being opposed around the country.
Projects such as these further threaten our rights as a society because the goal is ultimately to limit the freedom of speech amongst individuals who have had negative encounters with law enforcement in the past. People should have a right to always voice their concerns about the wrongdoings that occur in law enforcement, especially when it is a field that has been known to have officers that abuse their power on the daily.
Unfortunately, the state of Georgia joins the list of many other U.S. states that have passed laws to restrict the access to life saving care to trans people, especially trans youth. Which is why this protest is so significant to the queer community.
Hatred has spread like wildfire, and their are sadly no signs of these types of hateful actions being done. Every day the community suffers with another low blow that now dictates how many will have to adjust their lives in order to avoid becoming victim of a law.
The lead contractor in charge of the construction of Cop City, Brafield&Gorrie, have faced protest at several of their construction sites demanding that they halt construction. not to mention that the environmental harm that will be generated will harm a majority black populated sector, which has given residents no choice but to take actions into their own hands, demanding a referendum on the project.
