Atlanta, GA – A heated battle over the controversial project dubbed “Cop City” took a new turn on June 20, 2023, as the Cop City Vote Coalition filed a lawsuit against the City of Atlanta. The group is accusing the city administration of ignoring a legally required timeline and using delay tactics to suppress democratic processes.
The Coalition’s lawsuit stems from the city’s failure to respect a seven-day timeline mandated by Georgia’s legal code to approve a petition that would allow Atlanta residents to vote on the Cop City project. This delay, according to the Coalition, is a strategic move by Mayor Andre Dickens’ administration to prevent the referendum from appearing on the November ballot.
A spokesperson for Mayor Dickens previously stated that the mayor would respect the referendum process. However, the Coalition alleges that the administration has engaged in illegal stonewalling during the approval process for the petition forms provided for in Georgia law.
Atlanta residents who followed up with the Clerk’s office last week claim they were turned away by representatives who insisted the Clerk was not in office, despite the Clerk answering multiple calls to her office phone.
“Mayor Andre Dickens told the public that he would respect the process for the referendum, but he took the first opportunity he could to suppress our right to vote,” said Rev. Keyanna Jones, a leader in the Stop Cop City Faith Coalition and a neighbor to the proposed site.
She continued, “They say you can judge a man by the company he keeps – I guess staying buddies with Brian Kemp means more to him than democratic values.”
The Cop City Vote Coalition insists it is not asking the Clerk to do anything beyond the legal minimum, as Dr. Mariah Parker, who filed the original petition form with the Clerk, explained: “Approve the petition form, and let us go about the people’s work.”
Despite these setbacks, Atlanta residents, led by Dr. Parker, Rev. Jones, and other coalition members, returned to the Clerk’s office on the morning of June 20 to follow up on the petition’s availability.
Meanwhile, residents involved with the referendum continue to organize, with over 80 already signing up for training as “neighborhood captains,” and approximately 3,000 Atlanta residents have signed up to be notified when the referendum petition is available.
The Cop City Vote Coalition, composed of residents, community leaders, activists, organizers, civic engagement, and faith organizations, aims to return power to the people by placing the construction of Cop City on the ballot for a direct vote.
Background
On June 7, 2023, the Cop City Vote Coalition filed a referendum petition to allow Atlanta residents to decide whether to repeal the City of Atlanta’s ordinance authorizing the lease for Cop City. However, on June 14, 2023, Interim Municipal Clerk Vanessa Waldon allegedly denied the petition unlawfully, failing to add a line on the form where Atlanta residents can attest to the validity of the signatures – a responsibility legally attributed to the Clerk’s office.
