More than 60 activists were indicted on RICO charges last week in Atlanta over the ongoing efforts to stop construction of Cop City, Atlanta’s planned “public safety training center” in the forests of DeKalb County. In total, 61 protesters were charged with violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations act (RICO). Some of these protesters also face additional charges of domestic terrorism, arson and money laundering (?).
To be clear, in this case, the state is using criminal legal infrastructure to eliminate and incarcerate political dissidents, criminalizing them out of existence. According to the indictment, the group’s purpose was to occupy parts or all of the 381 forested acres in DeKalb County. However, the indictment mistakenly claims that the forest is owned by the Atlanta Police Foundation and leased to the city of Atlanta, when in fact it’s the other way around.
A group of organizers trying to force a public vote on the piglet training center, The Cop City Vote Coalition, released a statement condemning the indictments and accusing prosecutors of seeking to “intimidate protesters, legal observers, and bail funds alike, and send the chilling message that any dissent to Cop City will be punished with the full power and violence of the government.”
The indictment somehow paints mutual aid, anarchism, bail funds, and collectivism as the defining elements of a criminal conspiracy. If you’re curious to know what the American government thinks of attempts to help your neighbors, raise money for food, and to protect the environment, I suggest you read this indictment.
Side Items
End of AirB&B: New York City took a major step in limiting the abundance of AirB&B options available. Local Law 18, which was passed earlier this week, doesn’t just limit how Airbnb operates in the city, it almost bans it entirely for many guests and hosts. According to Local Law 18, all short-term rental hosts in New York must register with the city, and only those who live in the place they’re renting, and are present when someone is staying, can qualify. Additionally, the number of guests per listing is limited to two. This is long overdue legislation that could potentially keep people from being priced out of their own homes
Uber Pricing: According to a CNBC report, recently released data from Rakuten Intelligence indicates that the cost of rides from ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft has increased by 92% from 2018 to 2021. The data suggests that Uber prices in April 2021 were up 40% year over year. Corporate bigwigs will tell you it’s because of driver shortages or inflation, but at the end of the day it’s always the same story: These price increases are attributable to the fact that Uber is no longer subsidizing rides as they focus on their profit margins. Conveniently, this week, Uber’s CEO announced the company’s first ever operating profit (friendly reminder that Uber was founded in 2009)