"Cop City" groups remember activist killed by police
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Demonstrators protest the death of environmental activist Tortuguita on Saturday, January 21, 2023. Photo: Elijah Nouvelage for The Washington Post via Getty Images
People in Atlanta and across the country are calling attention to Manuel Paez "Tortuguita" Terán, the activist who Georgia state troopers fatally shot one year ago on Thursday near the site of the public safety training center.
Driving the news: Groups in more than a dozen states are hosting solidarity events to honor Terán, according to the Defend the Atlanta Forest Collective and the It's Going Down website.
- In Atlanta, a community gathering is planned at Grant Park and Gresham Park. A potluck is also scheduled at Park Avenue Baptist Church.
What happened: The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says Terán shot and injured a trooper with a legally purchased gun during a Jan. 18, 2023, "clearing operation" held by law enforcement, spurring troopers to shoot back.
State of play: The 26-year-old's family on March 10, 2023, sued the city for records on the case.
- The GBI told Axios it has nothing new to report since October when a special prosecutor reviewing the raid said the troopers who shot Terán won't face criminal charges.
Between the lines: It's difficult to ascertain the exact circumstances leading to Terán's death due to dueling narratives from activists and law enforcement.
- The GBI says troopers were not wearing body cameras when they shot Terán.
- The Atlanta Police Department uploaded footage from four body cameras taken from their officers at the site, but inconclusive videos only intensified speculation over what happened.
Zoom out: Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said Wednesday that the center is more than 75% complete despite multiple acts of vandalism.
Threat level: Atlanta deputy chief operating officer LaChandra Burks told the City Council's public safety committee that the center's cost has increased from $90 million to $109.6 million due to insurance increases and additional security.
- Burks said the city won't be responsible for the increased cost.
Meanwhile, a resident-driven petition calling for a referendum on its construction is in legal limbo.
What's next: A judge is expected to rule on a motion to dismiss by Ayla King, the first of 61 defendants to go to trial for allegedly violating the state's RICO act while protesting the center.
- The remaining defendants are awaiting trial in a complex case that will likely prove lengthy and costly, the Guardian reported in November.
What we're watching: The AJC reports prosecutors are using Terán's diary in the RICO case.
- Attorney General John Fowler said the diary shows there was a conspiracy created to stop the center's construction.
What they're saying: Belkis Terán, Terán's mother, told Axios that she remembers Terán as a compassionate, respectful environmentalist who helped the poor and mentally ill.
- She said the family is organizing an online Tortuguita Healing Center because it will help society, and "this city needs a lot of peace and a lot of healing."
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