A full house in #Minneapolis on Thursday was one of over 40 events across the US honoring the life of Tortuguita - indigenous anarchist, medic, lover of mutual aid, and kind, compassionate comrade - on the "Day of the Forest Defender."
Tort ran an online mutual aid account called "Brown Cat Mutual Aid." The account has been inactive since Georgia state police murdered them killed one year ago. The Brown Cat Mutual Aid instagram bio still reads, "our purpose is to do mutual aid in and around the weelaunee forest! Forests are sacred to us!"
Thank you to Southside Harm Reduction for providing harm reduction and safer sex supplies, Covid Aware TC for providing hundreds of COVID tests, masks, and literature, Sisters Camelot, North Country Food Alliance, and the New City Center food share, for the incredible amount of free produce and groceries, Southside Foodshare for giving out 120ish servings of hot soup to-go, and to everyone who showed up to provide childcare, translate, table zines, make art, and engage in conversation about Tortuguita’s life, #StopCopCity and the various forms that repression can take.
We are all still "in and around the Weelaunee Forest," no matter how far away it might feel to us. It lives on in the work we do for one another. So does #Tortuguita.
"They show at least one state trooper had previously been involved in a case of “friendly fire,” and another state trooper voluntarily resigned from the state’s SWAT team months after Teran’s shooting. A reason for his decision is not listed in the documents, and Georgia State Patrol did not immediately respond to a request for comment."
Today across the US, dozens of cities are holding community events, vigils, and memorials for martyred anarchist #Tortuguita, who was killed one year ago defending the Weelaunee forest from the construction of a corporate backed, counter-insurgency training facility, known as Cop City.
Tomorrow, January 18th, marks #DayoftheForestDefender, and over 35 cities across the US are holding events in their communities to remember #Tortuguita, an anarchist who was murdered by police in #Atlanta while defending the Weelaunee forest from destruction. #StopCopCity
A mutual aid share & community gathering in #Minneapolis on Thursday, January 18 for the Day of the Forest Defender, aka one year since Tortuguita was murdered by georgia state police in the Welaunee Forest.
6-8pm at New City Center (formerly Walker Church), 3104 16th Ave S. Bring (optionally) winter gear and your own offerings for the altar to fallen forest defenders - leave with food and groceries, zines, and and extra N95 masks and rapid tests if you need em.
(Información en español sobre el evento en el imagen tercero y descripcion alt)
On January 18, people across the world will commemorate the life of Tortuguita, the forest defender who was killed by police one year ago while defending Weelaunee Forest in Atlanta. We honor Tortuguita's courage and sacrifice. Consider organizing an event in your community, as well. #stopcopcity#tortuguita#vivatortuguita
Dozens indicted on Georgia racketeering charges related to ‘Stop Cop City’ movement appear in court
by Kate Brumback, Nov 7, 2023
ATLANTA (AP) — “Nearly five dozen people indicted on racketeering charges related to protests against a planned police and firefighter training facility near Atlanta appeared in court on Monday as their supporters rallied outside the courthouse.
“Protests against the proposed training center — dubbed “Cop City' by opponents — have been going on for more than two years. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr obtained a sweeping indictment in August, using the state’s anti-racketeering law to target the #protesters and characterizing them as 'militant #anarchists.'
“Demonstrators and #CivilRights organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union (#ACLU), have condemned the indictment and accused #Carr, a Republican, of levying heavy-handed charges to try to silence a movement that has galvanized #environmentalists and #antipolice protesters across the country.
“All 61 people indicted were scheduled to be arraigned Monday, that is to have the charges against them formally read in court. Fifty-seven of them appeared, called in small groups before Fulton County Superior Court Judge Kimberly Esmond Adams over a three-hour period, and each waived arraignment.
“Four defendants failed to appear. One was believed to be in France and prosecutors didn’t have a good address for him. One was in federal immigration custody. Another who is not American and who had left the country tried to return twice in recent days to attend the hearing but was denied entry to the country, her lawyer said. A fourth simply didn’t show.
“Most of the people who appeared had not yet surrendered at the Fulton County Jail to be booked on their charges. Some had recently reached agreements with prosecutors on a bond amount and conditions and others were still in the process of doing so.
“Adams told them they had until 10 a.m. Tuesday, 24 hours after the start of the arraignment proceedings, to turn themselves in. If they fail to do so, she warned, a warrant for their arrest could be issued and any bond would be rescinded.
“Adams instructed defense attorneys to provide the attorney general’s office with hard drives by Friday so they can receive copies of evidence in the case, known as discovery. Prosecutors are to finish copying and distributing that evidence to defense attorneys by the end of the year.
“A final plea hearing will be set no later than the end of June, Adams said. She explained to the groups of defendants that if they want to reach a plea agreement with prosecutors they must do it by that date.
“A couple of hundred supporters of the ‘#StopCopCity' effort rallied outside the courthouse in downtown Atlanta on Monday morning singing, chanting and waving signs.
“Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and other supporters say the 85-acre, $90 million facility would replace inadequate training facilities, and would help address difficulties in hiring and retaining police officers. Opponents have expressed concern that that it could lead to greater police #militarization and that its construction in the #SouthRiverForest will worsen #environmental damage in a poor, majority-Black area.
“Protests against the project, which have at time resulted in violence and vandalism, escalated after the fatal shooting in January of 26-year-old protester Manuel Esteban Paez Terán, known as #Tortuguita. A prosecutor last month said he would not pursue charges against the state troopers who shot Paez Terán, saying he found that their use of deadly force was ‘objectively reasonable.'
“Most of those indicted in August had already been charged over their alleged involvement in the movement. RICO charges carry a sentence of five to 20 years in prison that can be added on top of the penalty for the underlying acts.
“Among the defendants: more than three dozen people who were previously facing domestic terrorism charges in connection to the protests; three leaders of a #BailFund previously accused of money laundering; and three activists previously charged with felony intimidation after authorities said they distributed #flyers calling a state trooper a
'murderer' for his involvement in Paez Terán’s death.
“Prosecutors have alleged a conspiracy that includes a wide variety of underlying crimes that range from possessing fire accelerant and throwing Molotov cocktails at police officers to being reimbursed for glue and food for activists who spent months camping in the woods near the construction site.”
The District Attorney has ruled that the brutal murder of Manuel #Tortuguita Teran was "justified" and that no charges will be brought against the officers involved in his murder.
If you’re in the US and not following what’s happening in Atlanta, Georgia, it is very chilling.
Basic organizing and mutual aid is being called terrorism and bail fundraisers are being charged with racketeering.
And this is after police killed an Indigenous activist on site.
This is the next level of criminalizing protest. All because people have been trying to save a patch of forest slated for a massive militarized training facility for police.
"You have the fight against environmental defense. You have the fight for racial equality. You have the fight against capitalism. And of course, you have the fight against police militarization or the fight for police abolition," said Matt Scott, a journalist w. the Atlanta Community Press Collective
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Stop Cop City Activists Are Facing 20 Years in Prison for Distributing Flyers
Stop Cop City activist Charley Tennenbaum was charged with felony intimidation for flyering about the officers who shot an organizer 57 times
After months in prison, Tennenbaum spoke to Jacobin about Georgia’s crackdown on civil liberties https://jacobin.com/2023/08/stop-cop-city-activists-prison-free-speech-police-brutality