“There is no First Amendment in Atlanta,” wrote activist Micah Herskind.
By Sharo n Zhang, truthout
Law enforcement officers in Georgia have arrested three top organizers behind a bail fund in Atlanta that has been aiding protesters against Cop City.
Atlanta police arrested the organizers, the CEO, chief financial officer and the secretary for the group behind the Atlanta Solidarity Fund, at their homes on Wednesday morning. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the three were charged with money laundering and charity fraud.
Activists called the arrests an escalation in the state’s attempt to crush the Stop Cop City movement, with participants being hit with increasingly harsh charges.
“This is a major escalation — they’re arresting those who defend the arrested,” wrote Atlanta organizer Micah Herskind. “The implications of these arrests is that not only can you not protest, but you cannot defend those who are arrested for protesting. There is no first amendment in Atlanta.”
In a statement, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) spoke as though the organizers and other anti-Cop City activists were already found guilty of their charges from the GBI. He said that he was “proud” to have arrested the “criminals” who he says “facilitated and encouraged domestic terrorism,” referring to terrorism charges against Cop City protesters.
Recent Posts
Presidential Debates And Taxing The Rich, Then And Now
Take Action Now Some unasked questions might have helped prevent the last half-century’s massive concentration of income and wealth By Sam…
‘An Act Of Terror’: Israel Behind Pager Explosions That Killed 11, Wounded Thousands
Take Action Now “Israeli intelligence services planned to use the booby-trapped pagers it managed to ‘plant’ in Hezbollah’s…
Cal State Professors Targeted For Exposing School’s Ties To Israel’s Genocide In Gaza
Take Action Now The professors, whose supporters are calling “the CSU-5,” appear to have been targeted, not because they amplified their voices at a…
Secret Plans Make Western Australia Vital For Fighting U.S. Wars
Take Action Now The public has not been told that these US military facilities have made Western Australian locations targets for attack in the event…