The sign in the forest reads “You are now leaving The U.S.A.”
The development has become more controversial since it was approved by the Atlanta city council in September 2021. Some Atlantans have complained that the development process has not been transparent enough, and that public opinion has been disregarded. Just before the September vote, the council received 17 hours of recorded public comment, with an overwhelming 70% of residents expressing their opposition. Still, it passed in a 10-4 vote.
The Atlanta Police Foundation, which is helping fund the project in an unincorporated part of DeKalb county, says on its website that it will have “the necessary facilities required to effectively train 21st-century law enforcement agencies responsible for public safety in a major urban city.”
Neither the foundation, the police department nor the mayor’s office responded to requests for comment.
The US activists holed up in treehouses to block $90m ‘Cop City’ | Atlanta | The Guardian