Nashville Solidarity Vigil

On Wednesday morning, police shot and killed a forest defender in Atlanta while raiding a public forest to “clear” activists who have been protesting the building of a $90 Million militarized police base called “Cop City.”  The police claim that the protestor shot first, but this does not match with accounts from other activists.  Defend the Atlanta Forest is calling for an independent investigation.  The police have grown increasingly violent toward the protestors as the months have gone by, harassing and pointing weapons at unarmed activists engaging in direct civil disobedience in the very city of Martin Luther King.  The young man who was killed was dedicated to nonviolence and spent his time between protecting the forest he loved and building low-income housing in Florida.  No bodycam footage has been released, and activists fear a police cover up is already underway. 

Most major news outlets have parroted the police bulletin.  So far as I have seen, only Rolling Stone and Democracy Now are pointing out the inconsistencies in this account.

Perhaps even more worrisome, peaceful nonviolent activists defending the forest who were arrested are being charged with domestic terrorism.  This is an attack on the very ability of people to stand up and defend the land.

There are solidarity vigils taking place in major cities across the U.S.  If you live in middle Tennessee, or within driving distance to Nashville, consider showing your support tomorrow, Saturday the 21st at 5pm, Nashville Public Square.  Wear black for mourning, bring candles and flowers in memorial.