Protesters outside the DeKalb County Commissioners hold a banner made from white cloth with black text reading "Democracy is Dead" with "Dead" written in white against the black background of the shape of a coffin. To the right of the text is a jester's cap that's fused with a kings crown with stacks of cash sticking out from the top of the crown. Each of the multicolored jewels in the crown contains a letter - the crown spells out 'D-I-C-K-E-N-S' - a reference to Atlanta Mayor , 'Cop City' advocate and "sell-out" allegations denier Andre Dickens.
🦄 Eco , 🦄 Police

‘Stop Cop City’ Week of Action Day 4: Rally to Reopen Intrenchment Creek Park

By Unicorn Riot

Decatur, GA — Student activists organized a protest outside the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners on the fourth day of an ongoing ‘Week of Action’ as part of the ‘Stop Cop City’ movement.

The rally demanded that DeKalb County officials reopen Intrenchment Creek Park, also known as Weelaunee People’s Park — an area that had been used as a gathering place for the ‘Stop Cop City’ movement as well as a nature trail and park area enjoyed by locals.

A young person with dark hair and a black shirt holds up a megaphone to address the crowd protesting outside the DeKalb County Commissioner's meeting at the county offices building.
A black monolith with white font reading "DeKalb County Board of Assessors and Property Appraisal... Board of Equalization" is seen to the left of a chanting protester with long hair and sunglasses holding a sign that reads "La Lucha Sigue"
A cardboard protest sign reads "We Protect Us - Tortuguita Lives - Cop City Dies"
Protesters gathered outside the DeKalb County Commissioner’s meeting shortly after noon on Tuesday, June 27, 2023.

Intrenchment Creek Park was closed by DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond on March 24 citing “safety concerns” related to protest activities in the forest. The park has remained closed to the public since then while police and the private, corporate-funded Atlanta Police Foundation consolidate control of the forest that they are currently clear-cutting to make way for the unpopular urban warfare training complex officially named the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, but generally known as ‘Cop City.’

On June 4, Thurmond announced that DeKalb County would “reopen” Intrenchment Creek Park — however, this ‘reopening’ refers to a ‘redevelopment’ process that would likely see more trees cut down and keep the park area closed to the public for additional months and possibly up to a year, according to activists.

Much of Intrenchment Creek Park is currently caught up in a ‘land swap’ arranged between DeKalb County and Ryan Millsap, a billionaire developer who originally planned to clear-cut the land and build a sound stage complex. While the original plan has shifted, Millsap still intends to convert the public land into his own private property. The land deal which Millsap claims entitles him to the forested area that makes up Weelaunee People’s Park is currently being challenged in court.

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Categories: Eco, Police
Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Published June 27, 2023
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