Listen to Moral Leaders Challenging ‘Cop City’
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Bishop Barber Implores Atlanta’s Leaders to Slow Down, Listen to Moral Leaders Challenging ‘Cop City’
In response to the Atlanta City Council voting to approve $30 million to build a training for law enforcement officers, the Rev. William J. Barber II, president and senior lecturer of Repairers of the Breach, issued the following statement.
“After a marathon public hearing that included 14 hours of public comment, mostly in protest of the proposed “Cop City,” the Atlanta City Council voted 11-4 to approve $30 million to build a training center for law enforcement officers. As a person from the outside, it is quite concerning to see people come out in mass and a majority Black City Council not at least take a few days to fully consider their pleas. Also, the environmental issue must be deeply researched because oftentimes, years later, the truth comes out after lives have been lost and money has been spent. This is what happened at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
“The sustained protests against this “Cop City” have been met with a use of force that is concerning. We don’t know all the facts, but the tactics used against protestors in Atlanta have been questioned by Georgia’s sitting Senators. With the militarization of police and the abuse of police powers we have witnessed across this nation, alongside issues of poverty, homelessness, and a lack of living wages, it is legitimate to question whether a “Cop City” should be the predominant issue and focus for any city.
“I raise this as a person deeply committed to nonviolence and who in no way stands with the small group that has chosen violence in their protests. I have had numerous friends call me from Atlanta. I have deep respect for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. My people on the ground have asked me and others to look at the potential national impact and to ask what the cry and critique would be if this was being carried out by predominantly-white municipal leadership. There are powerful and respected moral leaders challenging this effort. I would implore Atlanta’s leaders to slow the process down and sit down with them face to face.”
Bishop William J. Barber II
President and Senior Lecturer, Repairers of the Breach