Cop Cities Spread Nationwide – But The Resistance Is Nationwide, Too

protest banner that says no just no peace
Via Wikimedia Commons
Zain Murdock
October 25, 2023

For two years, we have watched organizers lead an unrelenting fight against Atlanta’s Cop City construction. 

But there isn’t just one Cop City. It’s more like Cop Cities. In other words, facilities outside of Atlanta, either recently built or forthcoming, have sprouted nationwide.

In fact, here’s a list. 

Baltimore, Maryland. Honolulu, Hawaii. Port St. Lucie, Florida. Colorado Springs, Colorado. San Pablo, California. Knoxville, Tennessee. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Columbus, Ohio. Lansing, Michigan. Chicago, Illinois. New Jersey state. Texas state. And even more counties in Georgia outside of Atlanta.

You may have seen your hometown here. And if you didn’t, that, unfortunately, isn’t a ticket to a Cop City-less future. So, why is there a rise in police training complexes across the country anyway?

There isn’t just one answer. But think about how intense anti-policing resistance was in 2020. How much copaganda about crime waves has resurfaced. The billions of dollars siphoned into police budgets. 

And while this rise is worthy of concern, resistance to it already exists.

From rallies to mutual aid events, several cities listed have shown solidarity with Stop Cop City efforts in Atlanta. 

Because, instead of viewing Cop City as an individual issue contained to one city, advocates already knew the militarization of police impacts us all. So, whether you’re near Atlanta or thousands of miles away, we won’t be unprepared.

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