Letter of Support for Referendum Campaign to Stop Cop City

We, the undersigned organizations, express our support for a referendum on the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, commonly known as “Cop City,” and giving Atlanta voters a choice on the future of their community.

For over two years, Atlantans across race, class, age, and neighborhood have organized to stop the destruction of at least 85 acres of forest land and the construction of the proposed police militarization facility. In September 2021, over one thousand Atlanta residents offered 17 hours of public comment regarding the project, the majority of which opposed the facility. In May and June of 2023, hundreds of residents offered over seven and fourteen hours, respectively, of public comment that overwhelmingly rejected the Cop City proposal.

Despite these historic demonstrations of public opposition by the people of Atlanta, their voices were ignored. On June 5, 2023 the Atlanta City Council voted to approve $67 million in public funding for Cop City, despite years of promises that the facility would only cost the taxpayers $30 million. 

Two days later, a coalition of individuals and organizations announced an initiative to put Cop City to a direct vote by the people of Atlanta. The right of the people to hold a referendum is enshrined in Atlanta’s City Charter and its laws. The effort will require gathering approximately 70,000 signatures in a 60 day period, and will offer residents a chance to repeal the land-lease ordinance that allows the facility to be built. 

As organizations committed to equity and access to democracy, we believe in an Atlanta that creates public safety through building community, connecting people with the resources they need to thrive, and honoring the voices of the people. Atlantans have courageously stood for this vision of the future despite facing severe retaliation, and we condemn the manner in which organizers and activists have been targeted and intimidated. 

We see our own communities’ futures reflected in this struggle, and understand that the democratic values under attack in Atlanta have implications for the rest of the nation. We call upon the City of Atlanta to respect the referendum process, and to support the right of residents to weigh in directly on an issue of critical interest to the public. 

Sincerely,

9to5 Georgia
Adalah Justice Project
Alliance at GSU
American Friends Service Committee
Anita’s Landworks
Asian American Advocacy Fund
Atlanta Democratic Socialists of America
Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI)
Black Male Initiative Fund
Boston Climate Action Network
Bring Our Neighbors Home
Care in Action
CASA
Center for Constitutional Rights
Center For Popular Democracy
Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law at NYU School of Law
Civil Bikes
Color Of Change
Community Change Action
Community Movement Builders
CPUSA-OK
Defending Rights & Dissent
Demos
Emory Ecological Society
Fair Fight Action
Food Not Bombs Memphis
Forest Keeper
Georgia Conservation Voters
Georgia Human Rights Clinic
Georgia Latino Alliance for Humans Rights
Georgia Mountain UU Church
Georgia Youth Justice Coalition for Action
Greenpeace USA
Hrrrl Scouts
Indivisible Georgia Coalition
InterReligious Task Force on Central America
Juxtaposed Center For Transformation Inc
Libertarian Party of Georgia
MediaJustice
Movement for Black Lives
Muslims for Just Futures
National Lawyers Guild, Alabama Chapter
National Lawyers Guild, Atlanta Chapter
New Disabled South Rising
Our Revolution - North Dakota
Park Avenue Baptist Church
Prison Policy Initiative
Release Aging People in Prison Campaign
Resource Generation
Resurgens Collective
Santa Cruz Cares
Santa Cruz Progressives
Santa Cruz WIMBY (Welcome In My Backyard)
Save Your Spaces
Showing Up For Racial Justice (SURJ)
Sierra Club Georgia Chapter
Solidaire Action
Solutions Not Punishment Collaborative (SnapCo)
South River Forest Coalition
South River Watershed Alliance
Stop Cop City Georgia Tech
Stop Cop City Kennesaw State University
The Debt Collective
The Feeedmen’s Bureau & How The West Was Saved
The Guild
The Organization for Social Activism at GT
The Young Democratic Socialists of America at Georgia Tech
Therapeutic Artists Resource
TownTable
Unearthing Farm
United Church of Christ
Unitarian Universalist Association
Women on the Rise
Workers' Voice / La Voz de Los Trabajadores
Working Families Power
Young Democratic Socialist of America at Georgia State University
Youth Interest PAC
Zealous