FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 2, 2025
Cross-Country “Stop Cop City: Imaginary Crimes” Tour Begins This Week to Educate Public About RICO Cases and Ongoing Repression
Events in Over 60 Cities from April-May Will Feature Panel Discussions, Provide Anti-Repression Resources, and Raise Funds for the Legal Cases
ATLANTA, GA —Supporters of people facing racketeering charges in Georgia for their alleged involvement in protesting Cop City are launching a public education tour this week to draw attention to the ongoing criminal cases and increased repression against social movements. The “Stop Cop City: Imaginary Crimes” tour starts in Atlanta on April 4 and will include events in over 60 cities across the country through April and May. The tour will feature panel discussions, anti-repression resources, and merchandise. The tour also aims to provide direct support to defendants by raising morale and much-needed funds.
Dozens of people arrested at various times and locations around Atlanta since 2021 were indicted in August 2023 under the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. More than 17 months later, none of the 61 people charged with RICO have been tried.
The tour seeks to educate the public on the broader implications of criminalizing political movements using RICO charges and the need to defend dissent and support the activists under attack. A partial list of events for the “Stop Cop City: Imaginary Crimes” tour can be found below. A complete list of dates, times, and locations, can be viewed here.
- April 4: Atlanta, GA – The Murph
- April 6: Washington, DC – Busboys & Poets
- April 10: Portland, OR – SJAC
- April 14: St. Louis, MO – Deaconess Center
- April 20: New York City, NY – Mayday Space
- April 24: Chicago, IL – Northwestern Law School
- April 25: Phoenix, AZ – Arizona State University
- April 25: New Orleans, LA – Iron Rail
- April 26: Boston, MA – North American Indian Center of Boston
- April 27: Philadelphia, PA – Vox Populi
- May 13: Salt Lake City, UT – Mark of the Beastro
- May 18: Pittsburgh, PA – Roboto Project
The cross-country tour will educate the public on the history of the Atlanta forest and resistance to Cop City, how racketeering law has been used as a means of political repression, and the ongoing legal battle. The tour will also facilitate discussions on resisting the repression of social movements, and how to adapt to evolving forms of repression by using solidarity, mutual aid, and collective action.
Over 170 people have been arrested so far in connection with Cop City in Atlanta, including more than 40 activists who were arrested under Georgia’s Domestic Terrorism law. The $110 million construction of Cop City, the largest police training facility in the United States, began in spring 2023 on an 85-acre plot of land in the South River Forest of DeKalb County, Georgia, owned by the City of Atlanta.
In September, prosecutors were forced to dismiss money laundering charges against organizers with the Atlanta Solidarity Fund in a major blow to the State’s RICO case. Trials for the 61 defendants are expected to begin sometime this year.
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For more information on the sweeping RICO criminal case and ways to support the defendants and the movement to Stop Cop City, go to: weelauneethefree.org.
