Protesters against Atlanta’s Public Safety Training Center disrupted an event where Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens spoke in Austin, Texas.
Video captured by Candice Bernd, a Truthout reporter, shows the incident at a panel on Monday at the SXSW conference.
The disruption began when one person interrupted Dickens as he spoke.
“How are you at odds with Brian Kemp when you work with him on Cop City, you work with him on destroying the forest—”
“Let me finish what I was saying if you don’t mind,” Dickens said.
The two spoke over each other and a chorus of voices began yelling.
Dickens was participating in a panel called “Policy Collision: Local Officials & Governors At Odds.” They discussed how local officials navigate disagreements with state officials over policy issues.
Another person shouted, “Andre Dickens, you are responsible for the murder of the first environmental protestor—”
“I was responsible?” Dickens said.
The protestor continued. “How do you sit on a panel and talk about tensions with governors when you are working with Brian Kemp to build Cop City … you’re working with Republicans…”
Dickens tried to talk through the ensuing commotion. Another protestor said, “Tortuguita was shot 57 times.”
Manuel “Tortuguita” Paez Teran is an environmental activist who was killed by law enforcement near the site of the training center.
“Look at who’s talking,” Dickens shouted at them. “Think about the privilege … one thing I was gonna ask is … there’s a racial element.”
Protesters broke into “Stop Cop City” chants and Dickens reiterated that there’s a “racial element” to the issue. Many of the protesters appeared to be white.
About a dozen protesters unfurled a banner that read “Andre Dickens G.O.P Stooge Stop Cop City.”
Protesters then chanted “Viva Viva Tortuguita” as Dickens left the room. Protesters…
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