Georgia lawmakers are calling for an investigation into the death of an activist killed while protesting a controversial law enforcement training center set to be built in Atlanta, increasing scrutiny on the project and the treatment of its opponents.
The facility, derisively dubbed “Cop City” by opponents of the project, is set to be built on 85 acres of Atlanta’s historic South River Forest, an area deeply entwined with the plight of Black and Indigenous people in the area. The city council pushed forward with the plans despite 17 hours of public comment in September 2021 where a majority of community members disapproved of the project.
In January, Georgia State troopers fatally shot 26-year-old Manuel “Tortuguita” Esteban Paez Terán 57 times, giving rise to national media coverage and community outrage. He was living in the forest as an act of protest and in an effort to stop Cop City from being built.
His death marks the first time an environmental activist has been killed by authorities, according to The Guardian, and has been a focal point throughout the movement against the training center, fueling organizers, lawmakers and community members to demand accountability and transparency.
Alex Slitz via Associated Press
In an April 26 letter addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland, six Georgia state lawmakers urged the Justice Department to conduct a more in-depth investigation of Terán’s death.
“We believe it is essential that a credible investigation be conducted that gathers and releases the necessary information to ensure public confidence in the investigatory and law enforcement process,” the letter reads.
“As such, we respectfully request that the U.S. Department of Justice conduct a thorough independent investigation into the persistent pattern of misconduct within state law enforcement agencies, to include but not limited to the January 18, 2023 incident.”
The letter was signed by Sen. Nabilah Islam, Sen. Jason Esteves, Sen. Nan Orrock, Rep. Ruwa Romman, Rep. Jasmine Clark, and Rep. Kim Schofield, who all represent Atlanta or suburbs of Atlanta.
The arrests of other protesters has also drawn attention in recent weeks. Earlier this week, The Intercept reported that three people were arrested and charged with felony intimidation of an officer of the state and misdemeanor stalking after placing flyers on mailboxes pointing out the name of one of the officers that killed Tortuguita. They were placed in solitary confinement “for days.”
Lyra Graham, an attorney representing the three people arrested for the flyers, told JS the charges faced by her clients are not typical.
“Most protest crimes are misdemeanors or ordinance violations, like a traffic ticket,” Graham said. “We’ve seen many of those cases since the George Floyd protests. People need to understand the actions of protestors haven’t changed, the crimes they’re charged with have. This isn’t an escalation in protest, it’s a crackdown on those same First Amendment protected protests as before.”
Other protestors and community members have also faced harsh punishments: More than 40 people with domestic terrorism since last year.
The Stop Cop City movement, however, remains largely undeterred.
Micah Herskind, an organizer in Atlanta, told JS that the movement has been “gaining steam” despite the challenges they have faced.
“Obviously so much the severity of the repression, including both the literal murder of a forest defender and these incredibly severe political prosecutions, I think that they’re devastating, and they’re traumatizing, and they are also galvanizing,” Herskind said. “It has literally taken a human toll. And also, I do think that it makes people more determined to fight than ever and to stop Cop City in Tortuguita’s name and to free all of the political prisoners.”
The Office of the DeKalb County District Attorney declined to comment. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to JS’s request for comment.