FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 3, 2023

CONTACT: media@colorofchange.org

 

COLOR OF CHANGE DEMANDS ATLANTA OFFICIALS STOP ATTEMPTS TO BLOCK  COP CITY REFERENDUM

Washington, D.C. – In response to the Atlanta city government under Mayor Andre Dickens attempting to block the Cop City referendum from taking place Color Of Change released the following statement from Michael Collins, Senior Director of Government Affairs: 

“The Mayor of Atlanta, Andre Dickens, is engaging in profoundly undemocratic maneuvers to deny residents the right to vote on Cop City.  By legally challenging the referendum and advocates’ ability to collect signatures,  the Mayor is trying to prevent voters from having their say on redefining public safety beyond policing in their communities. Democrats rightly oppose the rampant voter disenfranchisement that is occurring in this country, especially in majority-Black jurisdictions, but the mayor is now an obstacle to democracy in his own backyard. The double standard is unconscionable. We encourage the Mayor to fight fairly for what he believes in, leave the right-wing tactics aside, and have this discussion in the court of public opinion. We believe that spending almost $70 million of taxpayer funds to destroy a forest in the middle of a climate crisis and create a militarized police training facility is deeply misguided. Ultimately, this should be a decision for Atlanta residents. Color Of Change demands that residents be allowed to have their say at the ballot box how to best keep their communities safe.” 

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ABOUT COLOR OF CHANGE:

Color Of Change is the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. We help people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us. As a national online force driven by over 7 million members, we move decision-makers in corporations and government to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people in America. Visit www.colorofchange.org.