Unoffensive Animal

30th January, Denver USA.

received anonymously via email:

“In the Weelaunee Forest of Atlanta, Georgia, land defenders are living and grieving, protesting the clear-cutting and destruction of 280 acres of forest for the largest police training facility that the US will have seen yet. This proposed behemoth of a facility – dubbed “Cop City” – would sit on land that has seen hundreds of years of violence; against the Muscogee peoples, against people enslaved on plantations, and against those held at the prison farm that once stood there. In recent years hickory, oaks, and pines have been able to flourish, providing new homes for creatures and humans alike, as well as cooling the city of Atlanta in the process. On January 9th, 2023, Manuel “Tortuguita” Teran, a land defender, was murdered by a Georgia state trooper, continuing the violence committed against the people and land of Weelaunee. We must not witness this in silence.

In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, protests demanding police abolition have been met by claims from elected officials that more funding for training will lead to a decrease in the use of lethal force. This is outrageous, considering that 2022 was the deadliest year for police violence. Cop City will cost 90 million to complete, one third of which is funded by tax payers, and two thirds by a collection of businesses that includes Home Depot, Target, UPS, Wells Fargo, and Chick-fil-a. Preventing the funding of Cop City is essential to the wellbeing of Weelaunee Forest and all those affected by police violence. We all can, and must, refuse to let Cop City become reality in as many ways as possible.

On Monday January 30th, 2023, we took action against one of Denver’s key players in funding Cop City: a Wells Fargo in the Cherry Creek shopping district. Underneath a racist mural we shattered windows and spray painted the following messages:

“Stop Funding Cop City” “Rest in Peace Tortuguita”

Cop City is not the first project like this that Wells Fargo has funded, nor will it be the last. This is a call to action in response to their willful funding of projects that kill human beings, animals, and the Earth.

Tortuguita lost their life fighting Cop City. While we do not believe that damaging property is an equal or adequate response to Tortuguita’s murder, we do believe that action must be taken to honor Tortuguita, to stand in solidarity with the movement to defend Weelaunee Forest, and to hold these financial entities accountable for their crimes against humanity.

We act today in love and solidarity with those in Weelaunee Forest and land defenders that are in active struggle against state violence everyday. This action is meant to serve as a reminder that private extractive corporations from the United States are responsible for perpetuating extreme violence against people defending their ancestral homes. This is also a reminder that this violence is not bound by US colonial boarders. In this, we wish to acknowledge the murder of three land defenders in Honduras since the beginning of the year.

We must continue to grieve, we must continue to fight. Also – fuck that mural.”

29th January, Belgium.

received anonymously via email:

“Under the cover of night 2 huntsabbers snuck into the forrest and approached the hunt towers. These hunttowers were used to primarily shoot roe deer and sources said these we’re making lot’s of victims.

For freedom – For justice – For peace”

25th January, New York USA.

via: Scenes From the Atlanta Forest.

“In the early hours of January 25th, the New York City office of Alta Vista, a subsidiary of Cop City collaborator Atlas Technical Consultants, was attacked in revenge for the killing of a beautiful queer Afro-Indigenous revolutionary some of us knew by the name Tortuguita. Alta Vista’s glass lobby doors got smashed—we hear for the second time—and messages were left in spray paint: Avenge Tort, Stop Cop City

Tortuguita should be here. It is unbearable that they are not—biking through the forest; cracking jokes about kratom; excitedly debating anarchist theory; organizing to sustain life in their communities; meeting all power and borders with unwavering hostility. We will never forget how these monsters took our friend’s precious life. We will make sure they never forget either.

May Tortuguita’s smile be the flame we carry to set this civilization on fire, and may it be the light that reminds us to love each other over the ashes.”

20th January, Novi USA.

via: Scenes From the Atlanta Forest.

“From so-called Novi, MI:

On the Night of Rage (January 20) the Detroit MI Atlas offices were artfully decorated with acid-etching paint. Hope you had fun discovering that your windows are totally fucked, you shitheads. Atlas, until you stop supporting Cop City, there will be no safe corner for you on Turtle Island.

We did this in Tortuguita’s name. We love you, friend, and will never stop fighting. Love and rage to all those fighting in Atlanta.

-Your friends up north”

27th January, Glasgow Scotland.

received anonymously over email:

“Tonight 2 comrades entered the main campus of the university of glasgow and vandalised the bio diversity research lab and anatomy research labs. This action was taken after reading glasgow uni’s spreadsheets of animal testing done over the course of last year. This action was unfortunately cut short by campus security being suspicious of our presence (hence the small ammount of pictures) but we plan to come back with a bigger action soon enough.”

22nd January, Portland USA.

VIA: Scenes

“Answering a call for retaliation against the murder of Tortuguita, we burned a large excavator in Portland yesterday night.

Tortuguita died trying to kill a cop in defense of the Weelaunee forest. Never let this be forgotten.

With these flames we honor their bravery. With smoke we send a prayer into the night that the next cop won’t be so lucky.

We attack the same machines that threaten the forest in Atlanta and everything wild.

FIRE TO THE EARTH DESTROYERS

Until every cop is dead and all they defend burnt to ashes.”

Note: Photo unrelated to the action.