Although the controversial Atlanta Police and public safety training center, commonly known as Cop City is approximately 40 percent constructed opponent of the project have called for a “Day of Action” on Monday, Nov. 13 in an effort to “bring construction to a halt,” organizers say.
“If the city government does not halt construction in order to listen to the people, then we will simply have to do it ourselves: a People’s Stop Work Order,” activists said on the protest’s event page.
Opponents of the training facility say they are concerned that the state of the art police training facility will militarize police and result in more police brutality and police slayings of Black and Brown residents.
Other detractors of the project say the true costs of the training facility will likely double, in terms of construction costs and human tragedy. Hundreds of Atlanta residents gathered at Atlanta City Hall to speak against legislation that would authorize an additional $33.5 million in public funding for proposed Atlanta Police Department training compound which will be built in unincorporated Dekalb County. The project has reportedly exceeded its original budget due to loss of private funders and increased expenses related to the widespread public opposition to the project.
The last formal mobilization on May 15 broke previous City Council records for the longest in-person public comment at any Atlanta City Council with a 7-hour-long comment session.
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